in praise of working in bed

by Alexandra Samuel | Update November 06, 2022 01:00 PM EST

Conventional wisdom says it’s a terrible place to work—bad for your sleep, your body, and your relationship. I disagree.

I’ve tried working at a desk in my open-concept loft. I have taken Zoom calls from the dining-room table. I write articles while sitting at the little table on my front deck.

But my favorite place to work?

the comfort of my own bed.

I know, I know: Working out in bed is a terrible idea. Sleep experts will tell you that bringing chores into the bedroom is a recipe for destroying the bedroom as a sleep-inducing sanctuary, and you’ll pay for it for a wicked case of insomnia. Physiotherapists and ergonomists will tell you that it’s bad for your back, neck, and arms, and that you need to sit at a proper desk with all your bits and pieces set at the right angles. And your partner is likely to tell you that bringing a computer into the bedroom is the opposite of comfortable, let alone sexy.

But I routinely disregard collective wisdom. Working in bed has been one of my main productivity habits for 35 years, and I’ve done some of my very best work buried in a pile of fluffy pillows. Now I’m ready to peek under the covers and share with the world my love of working in bed.

where did it start

My bed-working habit happened by accident: When I was in high school, my family did some home renovations, which meant there were months when I didn’t have a desk or table where I could work. Then I spent my junior year of college in an apartment that was too cold to work anywhere other than in bed. By the time I moved to a comfortable setting, I was hooked.

I know writing corporate reports or secretly meeting in a duvet sounds unprofessional, but my lack of professionalism is a big part of working in bed for me. I mean, bed seems the opposite of work: If I’m in bed, I’m not actually working—I’m resting! This deep, subconscious connection means that no matter how tiring or stressful the work is, it immediately feels less tiring or stressful if I do it in bed. Even if I’m not working in bed on a given day — usually because I want to use the giant monitor at my actual desk — if I hit a roadblock, feel frustrated, or Just feel a little bit then I will move to the bedroom. A little pampering will excite me and give me a new energy.

It works because I’ve made my bed a one-stop shop for everything I find comfortable or convenient. I have a tendency to feel cold when I’m stressed, so our bed has a heated mattress pad and an extra-large heating pad, plus a heavy-weight duvet. The charging station on my nightstand includes a USB-C cable that I can use to charge my laptop, and there are extra headphones in the bedside drawer. I have a supply of aromatherapy oil, lip balm and moisturizer. And I always have a glass water bottle full and ready to drink. All these little comforts add up to a workspace that feels more like a spa than an office.

do not disturb

Another great thing about working out in bed? bedroom door. I didn’t appreciate the singular beauty of the bedroom door (and especially its locking doorknob) until I found myself working at home with the kids around. When I’m working at my desk or in the dining room, anyone can come in and interrupt at any time. (And trust me: they do.) When I’m working in bed, I can close the door, and know that my client calls or writing flow won’t be interrupted.

That flow state is another benefit of turning on the heating pad, closing the curtains, and sliding under the covers. Instead of making me feel sleepy, the cozy cocoon of my own bed helps me tap into a less inhibited, more creative mindset. I’ll admit that my creativity sometimes takes a hit when I look down to realize I’ve stained my sheets with an uncapped highlighter or a spilled snack, but I don’t care about ink-stained sheets with respect. I have come to accept it as a badge, and have learned to sleep with the crumbs in bed. In fact, I sleep better than ever: By the time I do my bed-work during the day rather than in the evening, our dark bedroom is intertwined with sleep, among other things.

Speaking of which: I’m lucky that my husband didn’t mind the pieces, or our love nest turned into a workroom. In fact, he doesn’t go beyond the occasional bed-based convention.

Even if we’re both comfortable treating our bedroom as another workspace, I can’t say I’m immune to the physical discomforts that can arise from prolonged working hours in bed. . It’s a bit counterintuitive, but my back actually gets more tired from working at my desk in the afternoon than from working in bed: When I’m at my desk, I lock up in an (ultimately tiring) position. While I’m in bed, I’m constantly rearranging myself.

But more than a few hours of sitting with my computer on my knees takes a toll on my back, so I keep a wedge pillow and an adjustable lap desk handy; The lap desk is also helpful on video calls, as it avoids dreaded camera wobbling, and elevates my computer high enough to hide my headboard (a definite giveaway given that I’m conferencing in bed!).

tracking codes

The COVID era has made me a little more germ conscious, so now I’m deeply dismayed at the thought of sitting in bed and working in the world of worn out clothes. If I go out to lunch or sit down anywhere outside the house, I feel like I’m tracking outdoor cots to the germ-free place where I sleep. So I have a personal rule that I’m not allowed to work in bed unless I’ve changed clean clothes or pajamas first. Conversely, I find it’s perfectly okay to sleep in my sweats if I’m not out of the house all day: Once you blur the line between bed and the office, you can wear day clothes and nightwear. Can also blur the line between clothes.

And after all, blurry lines are what make working in bed so enjoyable—and, so, so productive. We’ve spent the past few years adapting to a new world in which the home is now the workplace, and in many cases, countering this by trying to make some part of the home feel more like an office.

But why not do the opposite: Why not make our workspace feel more comfortable, homely, and personal? The more I think of as a “professional”—whether it’s about changing what I wear between 9 and 5 or the amount of personal information I share with my colleagues—the more I think of a single person during the workday. I feel like a perfect person, and at least I feel distracted by the sensory irritation of shrinking clothing (or a shrunken desk). This lets me work more happily, and more efficiently—so that I’m not only fulfilled, but recharged, by the end of my workday.

And that’s what really helps me get a good night’s sleep.