What Happens When You Sleep With The TV On

By Matthew Boyle

Many people sleep with the tv on. Television is a beloved way to relax by millions of people, most after a long day at work.

A survey by LG Electronics reported that 61% of Americans fall asleep with the TV on. What can happen when someone does this regularly?

Here are 3 negative side effects to sleeping with the TV on and some other ways to sleep that don’t include TV.  

Cause Anxiety

Watching TV at bedtime is simply a temptation to stay up late to find out what happens next. The barbarity, gore, or suspense may leave you feeling anxious and could contribute to tossing and turning.

Affect Sleep Cycle

A big reason why television affects your sleep is because the artificial lights.

Humans are naturally awake during the day or diurnal. Our bodies rely on the sun to know when to wake up and on darkness to know when to sleep and recharge.

The bright light from the TV tricks the brain into thinking it is daytime and staying awake. Even if your eyelids start to droop while you watch TV, you’re not immune.

You might feel like you can fall asleep just fine while your show is playing, but your sleep can still be disturbed. The blue light exposure can delay the onset of REM sleep and lead to morning drowsiness.

Change Melatonin Production

In the evening, you start to produce a hormone called melatonin that gradually makes you feel sleepy.

It continues to increase over the course of the night, helping you to fall asleep and stay asleep. But it dissipates in the early hours of the morning, allowing you to wake up at an appropriate time.

Artificial light has allowed you to move away from your reliance on nature to tell you when it’s time to be awake and when it’s time to sleep.

The increasing use of screens, such as televisions, computers, and smartphones is especially problematic for sleep. That’s because electronics emit a particular type of blue light that is capable of triggering the brain to stop making melatonin.

Some Things To Do Instead

There are many ways to get healthy sleep without the television on at night. 

Sleep Schedule

Some easy factors that can help are sticking to a sleep schedule, even on the weekends.

Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day helps regulate your body’s clock and can help you fall asleep and stay asleep all night.

Sleep Routine

Another helpful tip is to practice a relaxing bedtime ritual. Creating a calming nighttime routine like reading or meditating can help you stay relaxed and ease into sleep.

Exercise

Exercising daily is also very important. A Robust workout is best, but even light exercise is better than no activity. As long as it is not at the expense of your sleep, exercise is helpful at any time.

Consumption watch

Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and heavy meals in the evening. Alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine can disrupt sleep.

Eating big or spicy meals can cause discomfort from indigestion and can make it hard to sleep. If you use drugs or alcohol to sleep you may have a problem and should speak to your doctor about possible treatment options.

In Conclusion

It’s important to get a healthy level of quality sleep because without it you may be tired or groggy during the day, have fine motor skills not functioning at full capacity, and exacerbate mental health problems.

Instead of having TV nightmares, by following just a few of these tips, you will be having happy dreams.     

Author Bio:

Matthew Boyle is the Chief Operating Officer of Landmark Outpatient Services, a new psychiatrist in Louisville, KY. Matthew graduated from Duke University in 2011 and has worked in the healthcare industry ever since.

The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect all or some of our beliefs and policy.  Any links on this page does not necessarily mean they have been endorsed by Defying Mental Illness.

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