Laptop Posture
April 2, 2010 7:19 PM   Subscribe

Is it bad for my posture/back/neck, general health to work sitting up in bed, laptop on my stretched out legs, for most of the day?

I went from a desktop to a laptop last year and soon found myself stretched out on the couch or on the bed with pillows propping up my back. This is now my working mode. I do get up, showered, dressed, do an hour of fast walking daily and a half hour of yoga.

Recently the NY Times, or someplace, had an article about some negative impacts on the health of people who sit too long at a desk even if they exercise a lot. This working in bed thing seems even lazier, but I love it. I don't seem to be getting paunchy, unhealthy, or causing back problems, but is sitting this way detrimental to my health in some long-term way? I stare down at the computer, so my head is bent down most of the time. I'm not overweight, but I am old enough to get the senior rate at the movies.
posted by Elsie to Health & Fitness (8 answers total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
I made myself one of these and I work in bed half the week, because of years of bad posture at a drawing table. I love it and find that I can focus on my work for longer stretches without feeling uncomfortable.

I think the only drawback is that my chest will sometimes feel congested and I wonder if I run the risk of getting the sort of lung infections that I've heard that bedridden people suffer from. On the other hand, I may just be a bit of a hypochondriac, since I'm still able to go jogging regularly.

I say continue.
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:28 PM on April 2, 2010


When I'm at home, I do pretty much the same thing. Being in the same position for hours on end, regardless of what it is, will eventually take its toll. I bought a super supportive husband pillow (The Bed Lounge to be specific, if you're wondering), and I've found it to be a great help. It supports my back quite a bit better and reminds me to at least *try* to have good posture.
posted by katemcd at 7:58 PM on April 2, 2010 [1 favorite]


According to this diagram from this write-up of a Savannah College of Art & Design case study, your favored posture may cause stress in the neck and wrists. Judging by the picture, the best position is lying down with your head on a pillow, your knees bent, and your laptop propped up on your thighs.
posted by Rhaomi at 9:36 PM on April 2, 2010


I have worked like this several days in a row during the past year, when I've been sick. I have had moderate-severe RSI in the past and though it's mostly under control these days, I'm fairly certain it would return if I worked like this for a long time. I can feel it puts extra strain on some of my upper shoulder and neck muscles. I'm not sure about the article you refer to, but there are tonnes of guides available to how to maintain good ergonomics while working at a desk; working lying down, even using any of the devices or suggestions above looks very likely to break some fundamental ergonomics rules such as keeping your elbows close to your body, keeping the wrists straight. Also, it's harder to wriggle around, stretch and aid your circulation while you're lying down. None of the devices or links offered above make any claim to be ergonomically sound, especially for long hours of actual work (which is very different to just playing around online or watching films on your netbook).

It just seems risky, unless you have some good guidance on how to do it properly - perhaps ask a physiotherapist/ergonomist if you plan on doing this for a long time and want to avoid problems. At the very least, learn some good, appropriate stretches and get some good break software like RSIGuard.

Believe me, upper-limb pain caused by working at computers is MUCH harder to treat than it is to avoid.
posted by 8k at 10:21 PM on April 2, 2010


@bonobothegreat
Hey, that's my instructable! I'm so glad you're using it! I'm using mine right now, and it's a world of difference vs. trying to use it on my lap.

@Elsie
I really don't know if it's bad. Ergonomics are pretty clear for a sitting posture - 90 degree angles, no stress points, straight back, etc. I haven't seen much for proper sitting/working posture.

@Rhaomi
I like that diagram, except that the recommended posture requires you to have really long legs, a big belly, or a very bendable neck to get the laptop to eye level.

I'd recommend trying to make a laptop stand like bonobothegreat posted. I made that instructable since I spend at least an hour or two in bed on my laptop, and this has made a huge difference. I like to sit up and have the laptop on my lap, but it's not comfortable for too long. Lying down like this, with my entire body relaxed and the laptop right under my hands, off my belly/legs, and almost at eye level is as good a posture as I've found for typing in bed.

The height is crucial - if you have fatigue in your arms while typing, it's probably too high. If it hurts your belly, it's too low. Compromise. It only costs about $15-20 or so, about an hour if you have a circular saw, and it might turn out to be incredibly helpful. While my stand is geared towards lying down in bed, if you were setting upright it would still make sense to use a laptop stand. Something like a wide/flat & low tv tray so you could have the laptop a little higher, and have something to rest your hands on. That might make sitting-posture use in bed a little nicer. You could do that with my stand, but the laptop would be angled so you'd be better of modifying it to be horizontal. Easily done, I think.
posted by jumpfroggy at 11:27 PM on April 2, 2010


I've been doing this for a year or so (though admittedly not every work day, and not all of the day) and have not noticed my posture becoming any worse than normal. But then it was pretty bad at a desk.

However, it did seem to balls up my eyesight in record time. I went from perfect vision to moderately short-sighted and needing glasses for theatre/cinema in less than a year, presumably because my eyes are now always so close to the screen (significantly closer than when at a desk).
posted by dontjumplarry at 2:00 AM on April 3, 2010


Can't say much about the body posture, but I would caution against making your bed a place for doing anything but sleep. Lots of people I know, including my mother and writing partner, had to stop engaging in non-sleep leisure in their bed as it was giving them sleep issues. When the bed becomes an activity center for non-sleep pursuits, it supposedly makes it harder to use it for sleep.

Interestingly, however, the sleep issues can manifest differently. My writing partner suffers from insomnia, while my mother falls asleep before 10pm.
posted by Doctor Suarez at 10:23 AM on April 3, 2010


That's cool jumpfroggy! It was a great idea.

You're right that you have to find the sweet spot for height. I had to try it a couple of different ways before getting it so that I didn't have to hold my arms up too high. Also, I ended up fixing it with screws at the optimal angle because I couldn't find a good solution for securing the pivot firmly.

I rough out storyboards with a 15" Macbook Pro on the left (secured with a bungie cord across the hinge to a couple of hooks on the back side) and a Wacom tablet on the right.
posted by bonobothegreat at 4:37 PM on April 3, 2010


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