One in three work on laptops and tablets in bed, reveals survey

One in three people are doing work on laptops and tablets in bed, with a growing number checking emails and browsing the Internet without dragging themselves out from under the covers, a new study has found.

A survey of 1,000 people in the UK found 35 percent of people or their spouses worked in bed.

Astonishingly 5 percent of those who admitted they worked in bed claimed they did so for an average two hours a day, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

The trend seems to have begun in the US, where a survey in New York found eight out of ten young professionals regularly work from their bed.

Paula Hall, a relationship counsellor, believes the intrusion of work into the bedroom can be harmful.

"It encroaches on couple time. You spend less together although you are in the same physical space and it can get in the way of intimacy," she said.

"Couples need to establish where the boundaries for work are going to be before it becomes a problem. And some people need a bit of self-honesty.

"They should ask themselves whether they are doing this because they prefer it to spending time with their partner," said Hall.

Last year there were 439,000 cases of musculoskeletal disorders in Britain, which led to the loss of 7.5 million working days, the report said.

Working in bed can make it difficult for people to get to eventually switch off and go to sleep at night.

Research has shown exposure to electronic devices with luminous displays such as from a laptop or tablets causes suppression of melatonin, a hormone that regulates the body's sleep and wake cycles, according to the report.