February 2nd 2025.
Ever since 2020, Phil Campbell and his wife Kathy Farmer, both 64 years old, have made it a nightly adventure to sleep outside in their garden. They reside in a detached three-bedroom 1950s home in suburban Cheltenham, which looks pretty similar to the others on their street from the outside. However, as you enter their home, you'll notice that things are a bit different.
There are no televisions mounted on the walls, no sofas in their sitting room, and their main bedroom only consists of a couch, wardrobe, and plenty of floor space. That's because since the pandemic began, Phil and Kathy have been spending their nights in a cozy "treehouse" located at the bottom of their garden.
Their evening ritual starts early, as they skip lounging on their couch and watching Netflix after dinner. Instead, they light a fire in their living room and sit on the floor, as it's beneficial for their spines. They chat and listen to music until around 8pm, when Phil heads down to the bottom of the garden to "light the path" for Kathy and warm up their bed, acting as a "human electric blanket." Kathy joins him about an hour later, and they quickly fall asleep under the stars.
Kathy came up with the idea to sleep outside as a way to get more fresh air and protect themselves from the virus. They set up a camping bed in their treehouse and began their nightly adventure in June. "At first, we were a little concerned about getting hypothermia and not waking up in the morning. But then we thought, 'oh well,'" Kathy explains with a laugh.
They initially planned to sleep outside until Christmas Eve, but that date came and went, and they decided to continue their outdoor sleepovers. "Everyone kept asking us what was wrong, but there's nothing wrong at all! We're simply reconnecting with nature," Phil adds. However, their dog still sleeps inside the house, as she gets too excited at night and would cause a disturbance outside. Phil jokes that she has the most expensive kennel in Cheltenham.
The only time they sleep indoors is when they are taking care of their baby granddaughter overnight. Otherwise, their outdoor bedroom is a lovely spot, even in the depths of winter. The fairy lights adorning their treehouse make it cozy and inviting, and the sound of the nearby river and wind in the trees lull them to sleep. They wake up naturally to the dawn chorus of birds.
"Every morning, we wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. It's amazing to wake up to the sounds of nature. We see squirrels chasing each other and baby deer playing," Phil shares. For Kathy, sleeping at the bottom of their garden is like a mini vacation, as they can escape the stresses and chaos of the day and fully relax in deep rest.
"It has greatly improved our sleep patterns and given us more energy. But most importantly, it helps to get rid of any agitation or repetitive thoughts," Kathy explains. "Things that used to bother me, I just breathe them off. I think it's the fresh air and extra oxygen. We leave everything in the house and let it go."
Their unique sleeping arrangement came about during a time when Phil was dealing with health issues. He had sepsis, metabolic syndrome, and was overweight at 22 stone. Then in 2020, he discovered that he had polycythemia vera, a rare blood cancer. Despite the potential risks, Phil remained positive and unfazed by the diagnosis. "Your body receives what your mind believes. I refused to let it bring me down," he says with a positive attitude.
Now, Phil and Kathy continue to enjoy their nightly "treehouse" adventures, and they have no plans of going back to sleeping inside anytime soon. They have found a unique way to connect with nature and each other, and it has brought them both a sense of peace and tranquility in these trying times.
Phil and Kathy, both 64 years old, have been spending their nights in their garden since 2020. It may sound unconventional, but for the couple, it has become their new normal. They live in a detached three-bedroom 1950s home in suburban Cheltenham, which from the outside looks like any other house on the street. However, stepping inside, one can immediately sense the unique lifestyle of this couple.
Their home doesn't have a TV on the walls, and the sitting room doesn't have a sofa. Upstairs, the primary bedroom only contains a settee, a wardrobe, and plenty of floor space. One may wonder why this is so, but the answer is quite simple. Phil and Kathy have been sleeping in a "treehouse" at the bottom of their garden every night.
Their routine starts early in the evening. Instead of lounging on the sofa and watching Netflix, they opt for a different kind of relaxation. They light a fire in their living room and sit on the floor because it is good for their spine. They chat, listen to music, and around 8pm, Phil goes down to the bottom of the garden to "light the path" for Kathy. He warms up the bed, which he refers to as a "human electric blanket." Kathy joins him an hour later, and they both fall asleep within minutes.
The idea of sleeping under the stars came from Kathy in response to the pandemic. They had heard that getting fresh air could help protect them from the virus, so they decided to put a camping bed in the treehouse and began their nighttime adventure in June. Initially, they were concerned about the dangers of sleeping outside, but they eventually let go of their worries and embraced this new experience.
As Phil explains, "We decided we'd sleep out until Christmas Eve. But the 24th came and went, and we decided to do it a bit longer. Everyone asked what was wrong with us, but there's nothing wrong! We're stepping back into nature." Their dog, however, is not a part of this adventure and sleeps inside the house. Phil jokes that it is "the most expensive kennel in Cheltenham," but it's because she gets too excited at night and keeps getting on and off the bed.
The only time Phil and Kathy sleep inside is when they are taking care of their baby granddaughter overnight. Other than that, their outdoor bedroom is a lovely spot, even in the cold winter months. The fairy lights adorning the treehouse make it warm and cozy, and the sound of the river and wind in the trees lull them to sleep. They wake up to the beautiful sound of the dawn chorus.
According to Phil, they never need an alarm clock and wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated every morning. He says, "It's amazing to wake up to the sounds of nature. You see the squirrels chasing each other and baby deer playing." For Kathy, sleeping at the bottom of the garden is like a mini holiday every night. Away from the chaos and stress of the house, they can fully relax and immerse themselves in deep rest.
"It's improved our sleep patterns and given us more energy," Kathy says. "But most importantly, it gets rid of agitation and repetitive thoughts. The things that used to bother me just disappear. I think it's the fresh air and extra oxygen. You just leave everything in the house." Phil adds, "It's amazing to wake up to the sounds of nature."
Their unique sleeping arrangement came about during a period of illness for Phil. He had sepsis and metabolic syndrome, was 22 stone and overweight. Then, in 2020, he discovered he had polycythemia vera, a rare blood cancer. Despite the risks, Phil remained positive and had a "mind over matter" attitude. He says, "The body receives what the mind believes. I just didn't take it on board." With this outlook, Phil continues to live a happy and healthy life with his wife, sleeping under the stars every night.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
