Why Duvet Days Matter

Having a ‘duvet day' will make most people think about spending a whole day under the covers or on the sofa cocooned in your favourite blanket. Sounds like heaven, right?

With colds, flus and nasty coughs going around, we thought it would be a good opportunity to look at why duvet days are important and how you can get the best out of yours. With World Sleep Day just around the corner, we thought it best to give some advice on how to make the most of your well-earned duvet day.

Some are lucky enough to have duvet days offered as a perk by their employers. But far from an excuse to be lazy, a duvet day is a concept aimed at helping employees sense of wellbeing, where they can call in at short notice and take the day off, no questions asked and without it being recorded as sick leave.

What Makes Duvet Days Important?

The idea of offering duvet days as job perk has gained popularity among progressive companies since the late 90s. The theory behind it is that workers feel like they are being well-treated and won't need to tell any tall tales if they need a day off to rest and recuperate.

When there's a new level of trust and honesty between the firm and its employees, it's thought that the number of sick days will drop. In addition, staff who are able to take a day or so for breathing space are less likely to suffer from stress or feel burnt out by their jobs. We've previously looked at why sleep is vital for mental health, so it's easy to see why more workplaces are offering duvet days.

Duvet days are widely seen as a nice job perk that can attract the most talented workers and help to build a positive atmosphere in the workplace where employees feel valued and looked after.

Make the Best Duvet Day

But as we all know how good it feels to just stay wrapped up in our duvet (especially during cold weather), we should now plan what you should do with your duvet day. At Dormeo we've put our thinking caps on and come up with our top tips, so next time you decide to take a duvet day you can really make the most it.

Clothing

Duvet days are all about leaving your work “uniform” in the wardrobe, staying in your comfy clothes and feeling like you are truly on a day off. There is research (such as this 2012 study by Northwestern University) that suggests the clothes you choose affect your mood and health, so by deliberately dressing for a relaxing time, you're more likely to have a truly chilled out day.

So forget about your suits, skirts, shirts, ties and tights, and think more along the lines of over-sized hoodies, dressing gowns and tracksuit bottoms that really do pair well with a duvet.

Have a Much-needed Lie In

When you have your head down and working hard, sometime you don’t realise how burnt out you are. Taking a step back to catch your breath is incredibly important for your well-being and your mental health. If you're able to arrange the time off work slightly in advance. This way, you can simply turn your regular alarm off and allow yourself a well-deserved lie-in.

However, while a long lie is a lovely little treat, you must be careful not to make it a habit. Oversleeping can be a symptom of depression, and can contribute to issues like diabetes, obesity, and headaches, according to Boots WebMD, so it's worth keeping an eye on it if you always feel the need to stay in bed.

Make Your Bedroom A Duvet Day Dream

Taking a day off and getting some well-deserved rest only works so far. You need to make sure your environment is conducive to your plan of relaxing and unwinding.

So, if you are planning to take a nice relaxing day home from work soon, it's definitely worth doing something to your bedroom to maximise your rest time. Fill your room with warm lighting to relax your eyes and make you soothed.

You must also restrain yourself from checking your work emails on your phone during your duvet day. Not only because you are trying to remove all work-related distractions, but also because the blue light from the screen can disrupt your natural sleep patterns and, in turn, totally ruin your duvet day.

Once you have made your bedroom a totally quiet zone, you will want the finest duvet to snuggle up with, but a quality mattress will allow you to get a great night's rest beforehand. These are investments that will benefit you in the long run, as you will be able to enjoy more comfortable sleep beyond your duvet day.

Take a look at our range of memory foam mattresses at Dormeo, where you will find a variety of different products to suit your needs. We also have a great selection of luxury duvets and pillows that will make the very best companions for your relaxing day off.

Entertain Yourself on Your Day Off

You have worked hard to earn your day off, so make sure this day is for you. Try to indulge in some of your favourite things to make your time off as personal and comforting as possible. Catch up on your favourite TV show or watch a film that you have been meaning to watch but hadn’t had the time, now is the time to snuggle up and enjoy a few hours of screen time.

Do you like to read? Then grab the book you're currently engrossed in or delve into a new one from the comfort of your sofa. When you fill the day with what you love most, you'll feel like you've gotten the most out of your time off.

Duvet days are a wonderful thing and it's important that you make the most of them. Follow our advice and you will be sure to have the very best time of it.