For 3am and the long flat afternoons
Hospital boredom is a specific kind: too tired to concentrate, too awake to sleep, interrupted every forty minutes. Short-attention things beat a 900-page novel every time.
There’s a guide for this
Boredom & distraction in hospital: what works when your concentration is shot
Hospital boredom is not ordinary boredom.
Things to do when bored in hospital10 recommendations
Prices are a guide. Check the retailer for the current price and delivery options.
Ten minutes at a time, interruptions welcome, no wifi needed.
Ward wifi is patchy and rounds interrupt everything. Puzzles can be picked up and put down instantly, fill ten quiet minutes without much commitment, and work when concentrating on a full book feels impossible.
Why we chose it
The most addictive puzzle book we’ve found — we all love Murdoku.
Gives visitors something to do besides sit and look worried.
Visits get awkward when nobody knows what to say. A short game fills twenty minutes comfortably, and works on a bed table with limited space.
Why we chose it
We chose the Mini Pouch version because it gives visitors a proper game without taking over the bedside table, and packs away neatly into a hospital bag.
For 3am, and for the afternoons when nobody is coming in.
Our favourite
Thorness Wooden Marble Solitaire
£25–£50Guide price
Available from Amazon · Ad
Most hospital hours are spent alone with a head that won't settle. Something to fiddle with or play single-handed fills the gap between obs without needing wifi, a partner or much concentration.
The single most requested item on any ward, and the one nobody thinks to bring.
Our recommendation
ASICEN 3-in-1 Multi Charger Cable, 3 m
Under £10Guide price
Available from Amazon · Ad
Hospital sockets sit behind the bed, above head height, or on the far wall. A standard 1m cable means choosing between charging your phone and being able to reach it. Three metres reaches the bed every time.
Things get dropped in hospital. Beds, trolleys and hard floors are unforgiving.
Our recommendation
SEYMAC Case for 11-inch iPad Air
£25–£50Guide price
Available from Amazon · Ad
Tired hands drop things, and a bare tablet slides off a bed table at the worst possible moment. A rugged case with a built-in stand means it survives the fall and props itself up on the tray table without anyone holding it.
Keeps your phone in view for films and calls, without having to hold it up.
An example of the type
Lamicall Gooseneck Bed Phone Holder, 80 mm clamp
£10–£25Guide price
Available from Amazon · Ad
Holding a phone up while lying flat is tiring and drops it on your face eventually. A clamp arm makes films and video calls possible for someone who can't sit up.
For long infusions and noisy bays — the closest thing to a private room.
Everyday pick
Soundcore Q20i Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
£25–£50Guide price
Available from Amazon · Ad
A four-hour infusion next to a beeping pump is exhausting. Noise cancelling turns a shared bay into something bearable, and doubles as a signal that someone needs a rest from conversation.
For eyes too tired to read and hands attached to a drip.
Our favourite
Audible Membership or Gift Subscription
VariesCheck retailer
Available from Audible
Concentration after surgery or during treatment is genuinely poor. Listening works when reading doesn't, and it works in the dark without disturbing anyone else in the bay.
Absorbing without being taxing, and it survives being interrupted mid-page.
Colouring book
Mandala Coloring Book with Tear-Out Pages
Under £10Guide price
Available from Amazon · Ad
Colouring asks nothing of a foggy head and gives the hands something to do during a long afternoon. Tear-out pages mean a finished one can go up on the locker, which does more for a bed space than any card.
For reading, knitting or finding the thing that’s vanished down the bed at 3am.
Our recommendation
CIRYCASE Ultra-Light Rechargeable LED Head Torch
£10–£25Guide price
Available from Amazon · Ad
Being awake doesn’t mean the whole bay needs to be. A head torch leaves both hands free for a book, knitting or other quiet crafts, and helps you find things in your bed space without switching on the main ward light. Use the lowest steady setting, angle it down towards your lap and keep the beam away from other people’s faces. Skip the flashing mode on the ward.
Why we chose it
Lightweight, rechargeable and adjustable, with a beam you can angle towards your book or craft.
