Sleep isn’t just for rest. It’s one of the most overlooked variables of computer ergonomics. 💻
If we’re not sleeping well, our body doesn’t recover properly. That means we wake up tight, tired, and already behind on muscle recovery from yesterday. 😴
Before we even open our laptop in the morning, poor sleep quality can lead to stiff joints, inflamed muscles, and the same slouched computer posture we’ve been trying to fix for years. 😫
This article talks about my 5 favorite ways to optimize my sleep environment for better computer ergonomics. 💤
Quick disclaimer: This article is not professional medical advice. It’s based off my personal experience and opinions. For years, my poor computer posture caused muscle tension, inflammation, and chronic pain. Bad posture also decreased my mental clarity, energy level, and work productivity.
All the office health tips I write about are directly related to improving posture at a computer. We are our own primary caretakers. Do your research. Make good decisions. And be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare.
Optimizing Your Sleep Environment for Better Computer Ergonomics
Quick side note: Nothing in this article is paid promotion. I paid my own money for all the items I will mention. I’m not compensated by any of these companies.
1. Keep phone out-of-reach from the bed.
This is a simple trick that has improved my sleep quality a ton.
I used to sleep with my phone on the night table next to my bed. And I’d always be tempted to just “check it quickly” when I woke up in the middle of the night.
This would easily turn into a couple hours of doom-scrolling while staring into a neon light.
Now, I sleep with my phone on a table that’s far away from my bed. It’s very important that I can’t reach it from my bed. This mental and physical barrier helps me realize that if I get up to get my phone, my sleep quality is going to be toast.
This habit took a lot of work and a long time to perfect. But it’s been totally worth it. And my phone alarm still wakes me up just fine from that distance.
2. Switch to 100% organic cotton, white bed sheets.
Since 2024, I’ve been practicing low toxin living. It includes buying 100% organic cotton clothing anytime I buy something new.
It made me realize that my skin touches my bed sheets for 8 hours a night. So why am I sleeping on synthetic bed sheets that are full of artificial dye?
I also get the color white because I don’t want to sleep on any unnecessary fabric dyes. This may seem extreme, but I take all the possible steps I can think of to improve my sleep quality. Even if it’s just a slight fraction of an improvement. Because all these small, good habits add up to bigger wellness results.
And who knows if these small details really make a difference. But even if it’s a placebo effect, that’s a mental improvement that’s worth it for me.
These all-white sheets made my own bed feel like sleeping at a hotel in the beginning, but I got used to it quickly.
3. Install black out curtains to improve sleep quality (even if you have blinds).
I have metal blinds over my bedroom window. So I thought I was good. I didn’t think I needed black out curtains.
But as I laid awake one night, I realized that a lot of indirect light was still finding its way through the cracks of my blinds. I ordered black out curtains the next day.
They’ve made me sleep better and fall asleep much quicker. Both at the beginning of the night, and when I get back in bed from a restroom break.
Any time I see light, my brain starts to think that it’s day time. It doesn’t matter if it’s light from a phone, or from a street light that is barely peeking through the cracks of my blinds.
4. Use a grounding sheet and pillowcase to improve sleep and recovery.
Our society has become more and more disconnected from the Earth. We walk around on concrete, or hard floors, all day. We wear rubber-soled shoes that completely disconnect us from any of the Earth’s healing properties.
Grounding (also referred to as Earthing) is a wellness practice of making direct contact with the Earth. This can be done by walking barefoot on grass, sand, or dirt. I’ve also heard that swimming in an ocean can have earthing qualities.
Sleeping on a grounding sheet is a manufactured concept of earthing. Even though I’m sleeping in my bed, I’m using a device that connects my body to the Earth’s electrical charge. I sleep on a bed sheet and use a pillowcase that plug into the ground of my wall outlet. This essentially connects my body to the ground of the Earth while I’m in my bed. Even though it’s doing it in a manufactured, technological way, it’s the best option I have since I live on the second floor of a downtown apartment building.
Grounding can be a controversial topic in some places. But I simply write about my personal experience. And I can say this…sleeping on a grounding sheet has definitely improved my sleep quality.
Not to mention, I use to struggle with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I tried to fix it by doing a complete 180 when it came to changing my nutrition habits. And that helped a lot. But it just didn’t get me where I wanted to be. I’d have well-formed bowel movements about 5 days a week. But I’d still struggle with IBS the other 2 days.
Then, I started sleeping on a grouding sheet and pillowcase. It’s helped reduce the inflammation in my body, which has helped improve my bowel movements. And now I can say that I have healthy, well-formed bowel movements 7 days a week. And this started within a week of when I started using a grounding sheet.
5. Use a BedJet to regulate your ideal sleep temperature.
No matter how cold I used to keep my bedroom, I’d often wake up sweating in the middle of the night. It was so frustrating. For one thing, I was soaking wet. But worse, it would take 2 hours to fall back asleep.
That’s a problem I never have anymore. Not since I started using a temperature-controlled sleep system. This allows me to control the temperature of my bed underneath my sheets.
You know how cool the bed sheets are when you first hop in bed in a cold bedroom? Using a sleep system allows me to keep my sheets feeling like that all night.
I used to have an Eight Sleep cooling system for my bed. And it was amazing. Even though it was very expensive, it was worth it. But when my Eight Sleep mattress cover started leaking water, I looked into other options.
I switched to a BedJet cooling system to regulate my sleep temperature. And I’ve been very happy with it. It is much less expensive than Eight Sleep. And it is air-powered (compared to Eight Sleep being water-powered). So no more water leaks to deal with.
Closing thoughts: Optimizing Your Sleep Environment for Better Computer Ergonomics
If we treat sleep as an important variable of computer ergonomics, we wake up with less computer-related pain, more energy, and higher work productivity at the computer. 🧠💪
Computer ergonomics doesn’t stop when we log off. It follows us into the gym, the kitchen, even into the bedroom. 😴
THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST IN COMPUTER POSTURE.
If you’ve read this far, congratulations! You’re taking valuable steps to reduce computer-related injuries by improving your posture. That’s something to be very proud of!
If you liked this article on optimizing your sleep environment for better computer ergonomics, check out my free ebook titled 3 Ways to Improve Computer Posture Immediately!
>>> Click here to download your free copy
This ebook is a great supplement to the article you just read. In this ebook, you’ll learn 3 of the most painful, poor computer posture mistakes. Then, you’ll learn how to fix those mistakes immediately with 3 simple changes to your ergonomic computer desk setup.
Go to SittingPosture.com/ebook to learn more.
Take care,
Todd Bowen
