How to Spend the Whole Day in Bed

dip-dyed curtains, a bed with a headboard, and brownies.

eHow

When was the last time you seriously contemplated clearing your schedule for the day and staying in bed? Last week? Yesterday? 15 minutes ago? If you've been daydreaming about your pre-alarm clock comforts, then it seems like you should just go for it: consider this your excuse to be in bed from dawn until dusk. But before you slip back between the sheets, you need to go all out and treat yo’self. Make sure that your bed is inviting, your entertainment is top-notch and your meals are indulgent. Follow these 11 steps to have a perfect day in the comfort of your own bed — and it may be better than you imagined.

Step 1: Prep Your Bed

First things first: make your bed as comfortable as possible. DIY a padded headboard for a fraction of a furniture store’s price, and elevate your coziness game to a new level. Add some extra pillows, put on fresh sheets and you're all set.

Bed with padded headboard.

Bethany DeVore

Step 2: Keep Your Curtains Closed

If your bedroom gets a lot of direct sunlight, you’re going to want to make sure your curtains block out a comfortable amount of light. Don’t worry if you don’t have curtains or even like the ones you do have — if you’re going to schedule your day in bed for Sunday, you can make this dyed curtains project on Saturday. Refreshing your decor will make your day even better.

Dip-dyed curtains.

Lindsey Jackman

Step 3: Assemble Your Reading Material

Take some extra time for yourself and catch up on that ever-growing pile of magazines and books. When you’re done, throw them onto this wooden magazine rack. Pro tip: if you’re not into natural wood, you can paint this to match the rest of your bedroom decor.

Wooden magazine rack.

Caitlin McGrath

Step 4: Adjust the Lights

If you’re a real champion and manage to stay in bed until it gets dark, you’ll want some accent lighting next to your bed. Instead of opting for a standard store-bought design, you can make your own chic lantern table lamp. And hey, this will still come in handy for any regularly-scheduled day, too.

Lantern table lamp.

Tim and Mary Vidra

Step 5: Set Up Netflix

One of the keys to a successful day in bed is the beautiful autoplay feature on Netflix. If you need help setting up your Netflix account or redeeming a gift card, check out these tips.

Netflix sign in.

Screenshot by Jason Cipriani

Step 6: Bring Your Meals In

Comforters and crumbs don’t exactly mix, so you’ll need something to keep your snacks nice and neat. That’s where a lap tray saves the day. It’ll come in handy later, too, when you take a sick day or want to have breakfast in bed before work.

Lap tray.

Tim and Mary Vidra

Step 7: Break Out the Chocolate

Staying in bed all day is serious business, and you need to make sure you’re prepared for the long haul — with brownies, of course. Make this recipe the night before, and enjoy a few while binge-watching your favorite movies or catching up on the latest must-see shows.

Brownies.

Charity Mathews

Step 8: Try a New Skincare Routine

Lounging around is the perfect time to experiment with new beauty products so that you look as rested as you feel. Try this 10-step routine if you’re new to the Korean beauty world. Trust us — after you do it once, you’ll get hooked on sheet masks and essences.

Korean face mask.

Lilly Wallace

Step 9: Take Care of Dinner

Responsibilities often stop us from doing what we really want to do, but not today. Check off one of those responsibilities — making dinner — without putting in much effort at all. Throw everything into a slow cooker for chicken rice soup, turn it on and crawl back under the covers.

Slow cooker chicken rice soup.

Julia Mueller

Step 10: Think Ahead About Your Drinks

You’re gonna need at least a glass of water, a cup of coffee and maybe your favorite tea or juice. Protect your bedside table or lap tray with a coaster that you can make yourself. You can find map prints on the internet, or use ones from your travels. It’ll feel like you went all over the world, even though you never left your bed.

Map coasters.

Summer Hogan

Step 11: Settle In and Relax

And to go along with those coasters, make a personalized plastic tumbler to keep on your nightstand. By the time you really fall asleep, you’ll have spent a blissful day in your favorite place in the whole world.

Personalized plastic tumblers.

Jonathan Fong