We Know You’re Cosy, But Studies Show Working in Your Bedroom is Bad For You

Doing everything from your bed can be so convenient – but at what cost?

There’s nothing better than at the end of a long busy day, tucking yourself into bed and having a good ol’ snooze.

In the last few years, taking online classes and working from home has made things super easy – no need to worry about travel, only really needing to change if you’re needed on a video call… well, at changing your shirt anyway (no one needs to know about those pyjama pants).

We’ve talked in the past about creating the perfect study space at home, but not everyone may have the luxury of having a dedicated room to study in.

Your workspace might be your kitchen, your living room, but for a lot of people – it’s the bedroom.

In a study by The Conversation, 300 Aussies were asked about their sleep environments, and almost half said their bedroom was also their living space. 

It makes sense – why wouldn’t you want to get stuck into work while cozied up in the comfiest place at home?

In our bedroom, we can binge Netflix, send emails, play video games, chat with mates, write essays…our place of sleep and relaxation has now become a hub for pretty much everything.

It sounds great but in reality, it’s actually affecting our mental health and the way we sleep.

Half of the Aussie participants in the study also said that they have or might have a sleep problem.

So how can we fix this?

If we get down to basics, a lot of it has to do with how our brain associates behaviours to the environment we work in.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Brian Wind states that working from your bedroom can impact your sleep because you’ll be associating the room with being productive.

He explained that “you might be unable to fully relax. Your productivity may suffer due to increased feelings of irritation, disconnection and sadness that make it difficult to concentrate during work.”

However, you might be feeling tempted to do the opposite when working in your room and be tempted to take a cheeky nap. What then?

It’s all about setting boundaries - signalling to yourself and transitioning from rest to work mode (and vice versa).

“One way to do that is to make your bed every day before starting work… Think of it as a physical way to communicate to your brain that you’re in work mode, not rest mode,” says pro home organiser Ben Soreff.

Creating a ritual after finishing your work is a great way to transition back into chill mode – our chat with a mental health expert discussed about the importance of having ‘anchors’ in our routine!

Psychologist Sharon Grossman discusses using rituals to create a clear shift in your mindset, like changing your clothes and going for a walk, or meditating.

She says, “whatever ritual you decide on, the goal is to signal to your mind that it’s time to relax and enjoy yourself – something that’s vital to maintain a high level of productivity.”

So while it may not be possible to have a complete dedicated room for yourself to work in, if you’re in your bedroom, be aware of how you can tackle studying and working from home.

Not only will you be more productive, but you’re sure to get a much better night’s sleep at the end of the day!

This article was originally published 14 March 2023 and has since been updated.