How To Watch TV In Bed

One of the most popular self-care activities out there is lying in bed and watching television. Whether it’s on your phone, laptop, or tablet, getting under the covers and tuning out the world is one of the best ways to give yourself a little me-time. 

So, what is the right way to watch TV in bed? Well, perhaps there isn’t one correct answer to that question, but we do have some tips to make your experience even better. 

Unwinding After A Long Day

If you’ve ever had a case of the Mondays, you know how nice it feels to get into bed and watch your favorite show. Maybe you’ve been waiting all week for the latest episode to come out, or you’re rewatching old favorites. Whatever the case may be, watching TV in bed has almost become second nature to us. 

Finding The Best Position

The first thing you’re going to want to do is to find how you want to situate your body in bed. This could be laying down horizontally, sitting criss-cross, or even laying on your stomach. Whatever works for your body is the way to go for this activity. 

Position yourself so that you don’t have to rotate your neck or back to see the screen. This puts a lot of stress on your joints and can make them feel sore. Make sure that something is supporting your lower spine too. 

Get Cozy With Pillows

Not only do you need pillows for support, but you also need them for comfort. Big, soft pillows can provide a feeling of security and ease for your mind and body. We suggest getting a body pillow to prop sideways across your bed. 

If you like laying on your stomach, you can use pillows to prop your head up to avoid strain. Surrounding yourself with pillows gives you more flexibility for positions so that you can adjust as needed. 

Put On Comfortable Clothes

It can be difficult to relax in bed and watch TV if you’re wearing uncomfortable clothing. The best thing to do for yourself before you put your show on is to change out of your jeans and button-down and throw on some sweatpants. 

This will give you more movement to lay however you want in your bed. If you’re watching TV right before you go to sleep, take your makeup off and brush your teeth before you settle in. 

Take Out Your Contacts

If you are a contact wearer, then you know how much strain they put on your eyes after wearing them all day. It can be damaging to your eyes if you wear your contacts too much, so giving yourself a break will be good for your vision. Instead, try wearing your glasses or watching a screen closer to your face so that you don’t need help to see it clearly. 

Get A Snack

Just like we associate going to the movies with buying popcorn, we also associate binge-watching TV shows with eating snacks. Before you set up your pillows and devices in bed, grab a couple of items from the kitchen to munch on while you enjoy. Just don’t get any crumbs in your bed that could lead to bugs!

Decide What Device You Want To Use

In the modern world of technology, there are a lot of ways to watch TV shows. We can choose to stream on our phones, laptops, tablets, or actual televisions. If you don’t have a big television in your room, you’ll probably opt for a tablet or a computer. You’ll probably have to prepare for this activity beforehand and make sure that the device you want to use is charged and ready to go. 

Use A Hands-free Holder

If you decide to use a tablet to watch your tv show, you won’t want to hold it up the entire time. That would mean that you can’t enjoy your snacks or fully relax for the entire span of the program. Using a hands-free holder for your iPad is the easiest way to watch a TV show in bed without the hassle. SkyFloat offers a holder that suspends from the ceiling using a strong magnetic plate. 

To use SkyFloat, simply place the SkyPlates in your bedroom to suspend your device in midair. This prevents you from having to strain your neck to watch your favorite show. The possibilities don’t end there, though. You can use SkyFloat in any room in your house to cook, do yoga, or read an e-book in your home office—anything you need. 

Take Breaks

Studies have shown that sitting or laying down for long periods of time without any interruption was closely linked to an increased risk of death. If you get up and move around every half hour, you can mitigate this risk greatly. The same rule applies to working in an office. Frequent breaks are healthy for your body and allow you to get better circulation. 

After you take your break and sit back down in your bed, try a new position for your body. This will help with blood flow and prevent cramping or pins and needles. You can also try doing some stretches while you’re sitting down. 

For your back: clasp your hands behind your back and straighten your elbows. Stretch across the front of your torso by tilting your sternum upward. 

For your neck: look to the left and the right as far as you possibly can. This will loosen up your neck muscles after looking in one direction for a long time. 

Find Someone To Watch TV With

This is by no means a requirement for watching TV in bed, but having someone to watch your show with makes it more fun. Sharing that time with another person might not be your thing, but if you’re a social person, then you probably want to go find your roommate or partner to cuddle up with. 

Lighting Options

To get the full theatrical effect for a TV show, it should be pretty dark in your room. However, this isn’t always a practical option, so a bit of lighting can help with eye strain. If you have a lamp nearby, you can create a low glow in the room that provides a bit of backlight for the screen you’re watching. You could also use a dimmer switch to control the brightness of the light in the room you’re in. 

Wrapping Up

It seems like centuries since it was common for families to only have one TV in the house. Technological advances have allowed us to come so far in such a little amount of time that our great-grandparents would never believe the luxuries that we’re afforded today. 

So, the next time it’s a rainy day, and you don’t feel like getting any work done, get some pillows, put on comfortable clothes, and snuggle up in bed with a good murder mystery show. 

Sources:

How to watch TV in bed | Mashable

How to Correct Your Binge-Watch Posture | Consumer Reports