6 Ergonomic Tips for Working Comfortably in Bed

I am pretty certain you have woken up one morning, looked through the window and declared: “I think I’m just gonna work from my bed today!” Working in your bed can be extremely comfy and relaxing, and most of us do it more than once a week.

Having said that, working out of your bedroom has received its fair share of criticism due to the fact that you are prone to exhibiting bad ergonomic posture when in a horizontal position, which negatively affects your circulation and health in general.

Sometimes you do not get to choose where you work; some conditions force you to work in a horizontal position. For instance, a sick freelancer who has multiple deadlines would have no choice than work out of the bed.

Here are a few ergonomic tips you should consider if you often work underneath the covers.

1. Use an Elevated Workspace

Elevating your workspace while in bed requires the use of bed trays, cushions or lap desks. These tools will help elevate your work space, thereby, improving your in-bed working condition.

Adjustable bed trays especially can help you work longer in bed without compromising good posture. The feature of a perfect bed tray includes ease of adjustment, impeccable designs, durable construction, angular adjustment, and a built in fan for heat dissipation for your laptop.

2. Invest in a Good Mattress

The use of comfy mattresses is essential for working in bed because they help alleviate pressure point and aid better circulation of blood in the body.

There are Work Desk Beds designed especially for working in your bed. A good example is the Reverie Adjustable Bed, which contours and bends to work with different body positions making it perfect for reading, working and watching TV in the comfort of your bed.

3. Make Use of Ergonomic Pillows for Posture

When working in bed, a lot of support is required for your neck and back and of course, the use of sleeping pillows is discouraged. If you must work in bed, take advantage of the numerous ergonomic pillows available. These pillows provide you with extra lumbar support, contours your lower spine to your back and shoulder as if you were in a chair.

The principal goal of ergonomic pillows is to help you sit up fairly straight and maintain a good posture, thereby, making them the best option for working comfortably and productively in bed.

4. Use Adequate Illumination

Adequate illumination is germane to work either in bed or out of it. You must ensure that your lighting system (task or direct light) does not cast shadows on your workspace or create glares. Bad illumination stresses your sight and consequently, the muscles in your neck. It is therefore important that you position your lighting system (bedside clamp lamps) correctly to ensure a nearly smooth work-from-bed experience.

5. If You Must Work With Your Laptop, Use Ergonomic Keyboards

If what you do mainly is work/type on your laptop, then your best option is to use an ergonomic keyboard. Ergonomic keyboards provide comfort, efficient wrist support, and reduces the risk of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS).

Go for a wireless keyboard that takes your hands off of your laptop keyboard so they are more comfortable and in the right angle.

6. After Working a Few Hours, Take a Walk

Taking a walk infers calculated breaks. Of course, you do not want to jump in and out of bed every 5 minutes. It is advisable that you take breaks after every hour. The essence of these breaks is to aid the circulation of blood through your body. Also, if you are reading, writing or working with your computer in bed, remember to exercise your head at least every 15 minutes to prevent the development of kinks in the back and neck.

In Conclusion

Working in bed is one of those guilty pleasures we all do from time to time. You can make it less damaging to your health by incorporating some of the following advice and ergonomic furniture into the equation.

 

This post written and contributed by George at Bestofbudgets.com, where he blogs about budgeting, saving money, and earning an income digitally and living the nomad life.