If you have already slept in your office chair, you might already know that sleeping in your office chair is not that comfortable. But if you follow some steps and tips properly, you can make the experience better.
Generally, the proper way of sleeping in your chair is to adjust it according to your comfort level as much as possible. Also, try to elevate your legs and recline your chair a little bit. This will ensure proper blood circulation throughout your body, and that’s how you can sleep in your office chair properly.
Before learning more about how to sleep in your office chair, let’s start with if it is okay to sleep in your office chair. Shall we?
Is it okay to Sleep in your Office Chair?
I wish I could answer this question by just simply saying YES or NO. The answer is it depends on several factors.
It is okay to sleep in your office chair as long as you do not make it a long-lasting habit and you sleep properly in your office chair, making sure that the blood circulation is not hampered. You also have to make sure this is not hampering your natural sleep cycle in any way.
To many people, the answer might seem very complicated. So, let me explain more.
According to Harvard Med School taking a small nap in your office chair for 20-30 minutes is absolutely fine. This will not harm your body in any way. But don’t make it a regular habit.
If you are thinking of sleeping in your office chair for a full night, then this might be a little bit uncomfortable and problematic if you don’t sleep properly in your chair. Before you do that, just keep that in mind that this is not the ideal thing to do.
So, now, let’s move to how you can sleep in your office chair properly.
How can you sleep in your Office Chair Properly?
I do not recommend sleeping in your office chair for long hours or during working hours.
But, if you have to to sleep in your office chair properly, make sure you follow the steps below:
Step One – Take a look at your surroundings.
Look at the surroundings and try to find a pillow, blanket or towel. If you can find a pillow you can put it under your head to sleep more comfortably.
Being able to put on a blanket works like a charm. It will make you feel comfortable while you are sleeping, and you will be able to sleep.
A towel works as well. A few days back, I had to sleep on my chair. I had a long towel on my chair. I put that over my body while sleeping and I could sleep better. Don’t forget to set the fan or A/C to your comfort level.
Also, make sure that no one sees that you are sleeping if you are preparing to sleep during the working hour.
Step Two – Adjust Your Office Chair
Adjusting your office chair is the most important step of all. You will be sleeping in your office chair. So you have to adjust the chair properly so that you can sleep well on it.
Of course, the adjustments depend on so many factors like how many chairs you got and what types of chairs you got.
Suppose, if you have multiple chairs, then you can combine them together to make a good sleeping platform.
For now, let’s suppose you have only one office chair. Most of the chairs in the office have adjustable options. You have to take advantage of the features like backrest tilting or reclining adjustable armrests, reclining features, etc.
If the arms are adjustable, you can flip them up or remove them to get more space for sleeping.
Then recline your chair all the way up to 150-155 degrees as it seems like an optimum angle to sleep on a chair.
These features are very common in ergonomic chairs. If you are looking for an ergonomic chair that has lots of adjustable features, then check our recommended ergonomic office chair here.
Ergonomic chairs are really great for long hours of sitting and taking little naps between your working sessions.
Step Three – Make the room quiet & Dark.
Making your room quiet and dark is very important. If there is noise and light coming into your room, you will not be able to sleep properly. The majority of people have trouble sleeping under lights. So, it is crucial to make your room as dark as possible.
To do this, first, close the door and windows. Then close the curtains. This will prevent sunlight from entering your room. After that, turn off the lights. Doing this, your room will be dark and hopefully quiet, and you will be able to create a better atmosphere to sleep by doing this.
Try to shut down your mobile phone to avoid any destruction which might hamper your sleep. Then let’s move to the next step.
Step Four – Elevate Your Feet
If you do not elevate your feet while sleeping, then the blood will not be able to flow properly through your legs, and you might experience leg cramps due to poor blood circulation. Poor blood circulation for a longer time may cause blood clots as well. This will hamper the sleeping experience, and you will not be able to sleep properly on your office chair.
So, you have to use something like a stool or another chair, which will help you to keep your feet elevated from the ground and let the blood flow through your legs properly. This will also prevent leg cramps and blood clotting as well.
Step Five – Stay relaxed, Close Your Eyes & Sleep Peacefully.
Most of the people who work in the office have lots of stress. They can not fall asleep immediately. If you are at your office, then the chances of you being stressed out are higher. If you can fall asleep immediately when you wish, it’s a blessing.
But let’s assume that you can’t, and it takes some time for you to fall asleep just like me.
Sometimes, when I get overstressed, it takes hours for me to fall asleep. You will not be able to sleep as long as your body and muscles are relaxed.
So all you have to do is to relax your body and muscle, make sure that you are positioned perfectly. Then also, check if you are feeling comfortable or not. If there is any discomfort, try to readjust your chair.
On the other hand, if you feel comfortable enough, then just close your eyes and try to fall asleep peacefully. If you can’t establish calmness and peace, maybe remembering your crush might help. 🙂
Have a nice Sleep!!
Some TIPS to improve your Sleeping Experience in your Office Chair:
Keep a Travel Blanket and a pillow in your office:
It is scientifically proven that many people actually fall asleep quicker and sleep better with a blanket. So, if you want to take the sleeping experience to the next level, carry a travel blanket or keep the blanket in your office.
Also, you can keep a little soft pillow in your office, which you can use while sleeping in your chair.
Put on Earplugs:
Sometimes offices can be full of noises. The sound of typing, buzzing phone, and running a printer can mess up your sleep.
You can put on noise-cancelling headphones. But they are not as efficient as earplugs. They cancel every kind of sound perfectly. Besides, earplugs are also cheaper.
So, if you are having trouble with your sleep in the office due to irritating sounds, you must put on earplugs. You can check out my favorite earplugs on Amazon here.
Get a Sleeping Eye Mask:
Sometimes it may be impossible for you to get rid of lights completely. This mostly happens if your office room doesn’t have curtains and you are trying to sleep on your office chair during day time.
Many people can not fall asleep keeping lights on. I am one of those people. My room needs to be completely dark. Otherwise, I can’t sleep well.
If you face similar kinds of problems as I do, then you must try getting a sleeping eye mask. I have found an inexpensive sleeping eye mask on Amazon. You can check it out be clicking here.
Related Questions:
How can I sleep in my office without getting caught?
I don’t recommend sleeping in the office. If you are thinking about getting caught then, you are most likely to be sleeping during work hours.
You must realize that there might be some consequences as well if you get caught. If things get worse and this becomes a regular thing, you might lose your job as well.
I don’t mean to scare you. But as Doctor Strange said, “the warning of every spell should be written first”. 😀
Here are two cool methods that will help you to sleep in your office without getting caught:
Method 1:
You can lie down on the floor under your desk. This method might seem not that useful, but I think this can work just fine for taking a quick power nap.
If anyone comes by, you can pretend that you are having some issues with your computer and just act like you are plugging something in. This method will be effective as long as you don’t snore while napping.
Method 2:
If you have a separate room, it is easy to sleep or take a power nap without getting caught. Lock your door and sleep on your chair.
You can also take help from your desk to support your desk. If someone or your boss knocks on the door and it takes a little bit of time for you to open the door, pretend that you were working, and for better concentration, you had your headphones on.
That’s why you could not answer the knock at your door.
How do I Stop Sleeping on Duty?
There are several ways to stop sleeping on duty. I will give you the most straightforward solutions that I always try. If you want to stop sleeping on duty, get a cup of coffee, avoid unhealthy foods, and overeating.
If this is a regular thing, make sure you get enough sleep at night and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I am sure that these tips will definitely work and you will be more productive and energetic during work.
If you want to learn more about this, you should follow the article here.
Final Words:
I would like to remind you that sleeping in your office chair is not ideal at all. You can take a power nap in your chair once in a while. That’s perfectly normal. But I would never recommend you to sleep in either in your office or your office chair for more extended periods.
However, sometimes situations might not be such that you can’t avoid sleeping in your office chair. In such cases, just follow the steps that I have mentioned, and you will be able to sleep properly in your office chair.
I hope that you find this article helpful. If I have missed anything or if you have any other queries, let me know in the comments below.
Research shows, the best reclining angle for office chair to take rest is 135 degrees and to sleep properly you will need to reclining your chair up to 150 degrees.
So, if you are looking for an office chair for reclining check out this article: Best Office Chair for Reclining (up to 180 Degrees): A Complete Guide
