How to read while lying completely flat?

Sasha

Sasha

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
I have to spend tons of time lying dead flat because of my orthostatic intolerance. I'd like to be able to read, while my body is completely relaxed, but this would mean having my e-reader, book, or laptop held somehow above my head.

Has anyone figured out how to do this? I used to have a transparent perspex 'bridge' that I'd rest books and papers on face-down but my current mattress location no longer allows this and I can't move it.

I wonder if some kind of retort stand with a grabbing arm would work but I can't find any online with a long arm.
 
There's also the problem that you keep having to take the book out of the holder completely or partly on order to turn the page. With an e reader it's easier as it's just a swipe or touch, but you only have a single small page at a time so you have to reach up more often. Ideally a hand held remote device for turning pages would be useful.
 
PrairieLights said:
There are gadgets like this for holding tablets. Some clip on head boards, some tuck under a mattress and others are floor standing.


https://amzn.eu/d/dlyFaYD
Click to expand...
Thanks! That would be good for an e-reader for people lying in bed but I have a mattress on the floor of my lounge (warmer, lighter, and less depressing than being stuck in my bedroom) and need something floor-standing.
 
Sasha said:
I'm bored out of my skull with that kind of thing. I have to spend hours a day flat and I want to be productive, which I can be if I'm reading.
Click to expand...
@Trish, sorry, that sounded very ungracious! It's a good suggestion for people in general and I do listen to podcasts and audiobooks a bit but I want to be able to do more of what I could do if I were upright.
 
No problem. I didn't find it ungracious. I share the same problems with podcasts and audiobooks.

For one thing, I read fiction faster than an audiobook, and do quite a bit of skim reading in the boring bits and rereading bits. Listening to an actor or author plodding steadily through reading every word, however well they read, can get very tedious. I mainly use them for falling asleep.
 
I have used a UGREEN tablet holder (doesn't seem to be available new anymore, just mentioning in case used ones are around) mounted to the top edge of the headboard of my bed for years. My phone, tablet and ereader all fit. Whether that makes for comfortable reading depends partly on the height of the headboard (or other point of attachment). The holder doesn't allow for much if any height adjustment. (And when I spent some weeks with family - sleeping in a different bed - last year, it turned out there was nowhere to attach it to at all.)

For paper books there is (on the very expensive end) the Levo Book Holder, which I couldn't afford. Linking to their US shop (there's a UK shop as well), since it has a video that shows that they seem to have solved the problems of grabbing the book securely and of allowing for easy turning of pages quite nicely.
 
Sasha said:
Thanks! That would be good for an e-reader for people lying in bed but I have a mattress on the floor of my lounge (warmer, lighter, and less depressing than being stuck in my bedroom) and need something floor-standing.
Click to expand...

Sorry, it took me a long time to find those two links I just posted and hadn't seen your reply when I mentioned the gadget attaching to the headboard of the bed.
 
MatthiasRiem said:
For paper books there is (on the very expensive end) the Levo Book Holder, which I couldn't afford. Linking to their US shop (there's a UK shop as well), since it has a video that shows that they seem to have solved the problems of grabbing the book securely and of allowing for easy turning of pages quite nicely.
Click to expand...
That’s a very clever solution! And expensive :banghead:
 
Are you able raise your head on a thin junior pillow or a folded towel placed under the mattress with one hand resting on the middle of your chest to push button or track pad and the other arm relaxed beside you? I have a couple of ways to prop things on my chest to read whilst moving only one hand from the wrist. It took a long time for my neck muscles etc to be comfortable in that chin tuck position and of course it doesn't work if your head has to be utterly flat on the mattress. However, I found it made the world of difference if you can manage it - I can send you a pic of my set up and explain more if it would help.
 
Trish said:
No problem. I didn't find it ungracious. I share the same problems with podcasts and audiobooks.

For one thing, I read fiction faster than an audiobook, and do quite a bit of skim reading in the boring bits and rereading bits. Listening to an actor or author plodding steadily through reading every word, however well they read, can get very tedious. I mainly use them for falling asleep.
Click to expand...
Yes. I find they are better then drugs for falling asleep to. Of course it is a bit disconcerting when you nod off and then wake up to discover a new character has been introduced who you have never heard of.
The other night I woke up to hear that "Billy had fallen into a pond. No idea who Billy even was.
 
MatthiasRiem said:
For paper books there is (on the very expensive end) the Levo Book Holder, which I couldn't afford. Linking to their US shop (there's a UK shop as well), since it has a video that shows that they seem to have solved the problems of grabbing the book securely and of allowing for easy turning of pages quite nicely.
Click to expand...
Oh wow, that's amazing! It's very expensive but when I did a search for it, other things that looked a bit similar pop up so I'll have a proper look later (because now, I have to go and lie down! o_O).
 
Steppinup said:
Are you able raise your head on a thin junior pillow or a folded towel placed under the mattress with one hand resting on the middle of your chest to push button or track pad and the other arm relaxed beside you? I have a couple of ways to prop things on my chest to read whilst moving only one hand from the wrist. It took a long time for my neck muscles etc to be comfortable in that chin tuck position and of course it doesn't work if your head has to be utterly flat on the mattress. However, I found it made the world of difference if you can manage it - I can send you a pic of my set up and explain more if it would help.
Click to expand...
I have my head on a pillow ('totally flat' was an exaggeration!) but I don't want to risk doing dodgy things to my neck more than I already do (I do something similar to what you do if I'm semi-reclining).
 
When I started I would get bad neck and coat hanger pain as well as the resultant headaches, but I gradually adjusted. I've been doing it for many years later and it has multiple physios ticks of approval. I do specific neck exercises to help keep it that way though and they probably would have helped me adjust quicker had I done them at the start. It was very much a trial and error process and I hoped it would only need to be "until I recovered" :whistle:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom