10 Fun Activities to do During our 2015 SLEEP IN

Are you participating in the first-ever international SLEEP IN on March 6th-8th but not sure what you’re going to do in bed all day?  There’s actually a ton of great things to do when you take a break from the hustle and bustle of modern life.  Here are 10 ideas:

Beds have an unjustified association with laziness.  Not only is sleeping an integral part of a healthy lifestyle, but you can exercise in bed as well.  You can do crunches, sit-ups, leg lifts, or even yoga.

You’re never too old to build an epic pillow and blanket fort (or wage a ruthless pillow fight).  If you’re the ambitious type, maybe you can try to break a record in the name of sleep health awareness.

You can connect with other SLEEP IN participants from all around the world via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Hangout, Pinterest, and all the other social networks the cool kids are using these days (ask them about it, I’m not sure).  Use #SleepIn and @project_sleep to join the digital parties.

Kendall Patrick and the Headless Bettys will perform for SLEEP IN participants via Google Hangout on Sunday, March 8th. The band is supported by their manager Ciro DiRuocco, who is a person with narcolepsy. Free concert delivered to you in bed?  Who are you, Oprah Winfrey?

Being relaxed and being productive don’t have to be mutually exclusive.  Maybe you have home projects that are perpetually placed on the back-burner that can be done from bed.  Owe anyone phone calls or thank you notes?  Need to plan an upcoming party or vacation?  Have boxes of photos you’ve never gotten around to putting in albums?  Well you’re a step ahead of me, I don’t even have print copies of the last five years of digital photos…

SPEAK OUT to let the world know why you’re participating in the SLEEP IN.  Share facts and infographics about sleep and your fundraiser page with your friends and family.  You can tag celebrities and politicians in your SLEEP IN social media posts.  If you’re feeling bold, reach out to your local media outlets to tell them your story and invite them to join the event.

Is there any better place to watch National Geographic’s Sleepless in America than your bed?  This documentary provides 90 minutes of incredibly important information about sleep as a pillar of health (at both the individual and population level) and about sleep disorders (which are so often overlooked and misunderstood).

Sleep and relaxation are themselves great for feeling and looking great.  You can take it a step further and make your bed a mini spa– manicures, pedicures, facial masks, hair conditioning treatments– put the beauty in sleeping beauty.  This goes for men too (no one will judge you, it’s a good cause).

You can sew, knit, scrapbook, do origami, draw, or paint.  Maybe there are some Pinterest projects you’ve had your eye on.  Maybe you’ll discover a new talent and make a fortune selling your work on Etsy.  Frida Kahlo painted her early masterpieces in bed, what’s your excuse?

You can listen to music (obviously), audiobooks, or maybe even audio lessons for learning a new language.  There are also a lot of fabulous, free podcast series out there to discover (and then binge-listen). Maybe you missed out on a certain hyped-about 2014 series.