1) Never leave it unattended in public places, never leave it in your car, etc... If you must leave it unattended, consider purchasing a motion-alarm notebook lock. This is a casual theft deterrent, not an anti-theft device.
2) Always carry it with both hands. If you carry it with one hand, you're more likely to drop it. Hard landings equal death for consumer notebooks. Also, carrying it one hand usually makes you pinch the notebook to get a good grip, this is especially true on DV6000 series notebooks if you grab the back of the notebook, near the hinges. Also, don't trip over your power cord. This can also lead to a fall. And be careful who you let use your laptop. Friends that can be disrespectful or irresponsible with your property can destroy it.
3) If you aren't planning on using the battery for extended periods of time, consider charging it to around 40% and then removing it and storing it in a cool place (like in a zip top bag in the freezer).
4) The clear plastic sticker cover that's included on your laptop (assuming you haven't peeled it off yet) makes for an excellent protective cover and is quite durable, so keep it on as long as you can to protect the lid from scratches.
5) There are two areas of your notebook that are painted: Your speaker cover and your touchpad. The rest of your notebook is a plastic finish that holds up quite well to abuse. But on the painted areas, never clean it with anything but a damp cloth (water). Window cleaner (ammonia based) is especially devastating to painted electronics, so never use it. Water or rubbing alcohol works well on the plastic areas. Too much water can seep behind the glossy screen and can destroy the glossy cover on your LCD, so make sure you only clean with a damp cloth. Your laptop should have came with a cleaning cloth, it works ok for the cover, but sometimes it just smudges around the fingerprints. They show very clearly on this laptop since it has such a smooth finish.
As far as using it in bed- I use my DV6000Z in bed all the time. Usually its on my lap when I'm sitting in bed, but even when it's on my pillow, it still doesn't suffocate it too much that it overheats.
Looks like you have a new favorite uncle. Take care of the notebook and it should last you a while.