No one likes being stuck in bed all day with a fever or flu. Maybe your kid brought something home from daycare. Maybe you ate some bad sushi the day before. But with all the sweating and the feeling awful, the single most difficult part of being sick is staying in bed all day. Even if your body feels like it weighs a metric ton, lying in the same spot on the couch or in bed is still pretty miserable.

But it doesn't have to be. Or rather, you don't have to be any more miserable than the illness itself. Here at Nest Bedding, we know all about how to make lying in bed awesome, even if that's not what you really want to be doing. Let's dive right into these methods for a pretty cool sick day in bed so you can get well soon.

Create Sick Station Alpha

When you barely have enough energy to drink orange juice, it helps to have all the stuff you need nearby. Your tissues and trashcan, your cold water and hot soup, your blanket, and your remote control. We call this configuration, "Sick Station Alpha." Wherever you plan to hole up for the day when you're at home sick, get everything you need within arm's reach.

If you're alone at home, shuffle around until the tissues, blankets, hot herbal tea, and other sick-day things you need are all near the couch or your side of the bed. If you've got a helper, ask them to set you up before they leave in the morning. The easier it is for you to reach stuff without moving your body, the better a day you will have. And don't forget the orange juice.

Prop Yourself on a Pile of Pillows

Next, don't try actually to lie down all day. That's one of the main causes of a bad sick day and a whole lot of boredom. Even if you think you'll nap most of the day, pile up pillows and set yourself mostly upright. Harvest all other pillows in the house if you have to, and don't be shy about the creative use of couch cushions.

Propping yourself up has a couple of helpful effects. First, it lets you sleep or watch tv without having to move a muscle or make any decisions. This can matter a lot for a sick day. Second, it will make sure your sinuses are draining even if you're too unconscious to notice or care right away.

Find a Breathable Blanket & Jammies

Breathable bedding is a huge part of being comfortable on a sick day. If you've got a fever, and you probably do, then you're going to sweat and experience alternating heat and cold. You'll want moisture-wicking sheets and a fluffy but breathable blanket. This way, you don't wind up lying in a puddle, and you can get a wonderfully cool breath of air just by pushing the blanket away for a moment.

As for your jammies, wear your favorite wicking pajamas. An old cotton t-shirt and plaid PJ pants, for example, are about the right tone and fabric for your sick day. And they will dry out quickly if you sweat through the fabric.

Man the Remote: Prepare for a Power Stream!

Now that you're all set up, it's time for the real tip — power streaming. Power streaming is when you choose a smart tv channel of some sort and watch a single show for every season after season all in one day, like playing a marathon for yourself. Before internet-capable tv, people on sick days had to watch the MASH or CHEERS that was playing on normal television programming. Now, you've got options.

If you don't have any streaming channels subscribed already, now is the perfect time to take advantage of a free trial. You may not need the service after the first week, but it'll be a lifesaver right now.

Find something with shows you want to watch. Pick a show. Start watching. Let it play for the entire rest of your sick day. If you feel like it, switch shows or start watching a sequence of movies instead. As long as the TV is playing something, you'll feel comfortable drifting in and out of sleep.

Pile Towels, Shower Whenever

Another helpful tip is to shower a few times during the day. Any time you feel too hot, too cold, or icky from sweating, just jump in the shower and enjoy a few minutes of hot water. Get a pile of fluffy towels ready, and you can shower whenever you feel the urge. Showering frequently not only makes you feel better when you're nauseous and feverish, but it can also help you get healthy by opening up your sinuses with the steam from the shower.

Have Spare Flat Sheets for a Quick Change

Hate the feeling of lying in damp sheets? You don't have to. A few spare flat sheets can work wonders for your comfort during an all-day sick day. Even if you're holed up on the couch, you can grab a fresh sheet to wrap up in between you and the blanket. With nice soft moisture-wicking sheets, having a few fresh, top sheets can work miracles for your physical comfort. Feel free to change pajamas as well.

Prep a Pantry Full of Soup + a Microwave

Chances are, you don't want to eat much during your sick day. But you should, anyway. The easiest thing to eat with basically zero effort on your zombie-brain is canned chicken noodle soup. Or the kind that comes in powder packets — take your pick. Whichever you choose, the recipe is the same. Pour soup into a bowl. Add water. Microwave.

So as long as you have a pantry full of soup and a microwave, you're golden. 

Revel in Your Sick Day

Our final word of advice is to let yourself enjoy the sick day in whatever way you can. Sure, you're home with a fever watching March of the Penguins again. But you're also home watching penguins instead of at work or running errands. You've got the house to yourself, a free trial of stuff to watch, and beyond the zombie experience, life is pretty good.

Being happy on your sick day seems counter-intuitive, but it can also help you heal faster. Take care of yourself. In fact, pamper yourself. Drink soup when you want. Shower whenever you want. Pile up all the pillows and boldly lay around all day. It's your sick day. Why not enjoy what you can?

Here at Nest Bedding, we know that you don't always choose to be in bed. But when you're there, it should be totally awesome. Check out the blog or contact us today for more interesting tips about how to enjoy your bed and get great sleep.