Sleeping with tv on anxiety

Sleeping with Your TV On: Pros and Cons

Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your health.

Many people find that sleeping with the TV on helps them sleep. However, experts generally agree that this isn’t a good idea. Sleeping with the TV on increases your exposure to blue light, which can increase your risk for obesity, diabetes, and other health problems.

But that doesn’t mean it’s all bad news if you love sleeping with the TV on. In fact, for some people, it might be an OK choice for a solid night’s rest.

There’s been a lot of research into how the technology we use every day affects our sleep, weight, stress levels, and overall health.

Numerous studies look into how things like social media and 24-hour news cycles affect us. Many studies also examine how the devices we use to view them, like cell phones, laptops, and TVs, impact our health.

While much of this research is still ongoing, the general consensus seems to be the same: If you can avoid using this type of technology while you’re in bed, you should.

That’s why you’ve likely heard it said that you shouldn’t be on your phone right before bed. It’s also why most researchers and sleep experts recommend not sleeping with the TV on.

While you might find that your TV helps you fall asleep, experts warn that the quality of sleep you’ll get will suffer. Plus, sleeping with your TV on has been linked to some negative health effects.

There are several reasons sleeping with your TV on probably isn’t the greatest idea.

Most of these drawbacks have been studied by experts during sleep studies and are backed up by consistent research over the years. Sleeping with the TV on can disrupt your dreams, hormones, and your health.

1. It can increase your sleep debt

Experts recommend that adults get around 8 hours of sleep every night. Any amount of sleep you get that’s less than that 8 hours is referred to as sleep debt.

So, if you get 6 hours of sleep, you have 2 hours of sleep debt. Like any debt, sleep debt is something you want to avoid. It can affect your ability to think clearly and to focus throughout your day. Over time, sleep debt can lead to mental and physical health problems.

When you sleep with the TV on, you might actually be getting less sleep than you think. This can increase your sleep debt.

For example, every time you stay up for one more episode, you’re adding to your sleep debt. Even if you’re only listening to the TV and not actively watching it, it’s easy to stay awake, waiting on one more plot line to wrap up.

2. It decreases your melatonin production

Melatonin is the hormone that helps us sleep. It’s what signals to your body that it’s time to rest and recover from the day. TVs and other devices that produce blue light can reduce the amount of melatonin your body makes.

This can make it hard for your brain to know whether it’s night or day. When your brain thinks it’s still daytime in the middle of the night, it can make falling asleep and staying asleep very difficult.

3. It stimulates your brain

The last thing you want when you’re trying to sleep is for your brain to be stimulated. When your brain is receiving stimulation, it will stay active. An active brain is a brain that won’t shut off, which makes it incredibly hard to fall asleep.

When your brain is stimulated, it can cause the sleep you do get to be restless and not the deep sleep your body really needs.

Experts say watching TV or listening to TV provides too much stimulation to your brain. When you leave the TV on things like flashes of lights, changes in sound, new alerts, and more can cause you to jolt awake.

Plus, we take in the sounds around us for a long time before we hit the deepest part of our sleep cycle. That means that your brain is still catching those bits of dialogue and being stimulated as you drift off. That can lead to strange and even disturbing dreams.

When you have nightmares, it’s often hard to fall back asleep. This can lead to a decline in your quantity and quality of sleep.

4. It can affect your health

Keeping the TV on while you sleep can lead to getting less sleep. Without adequate sleep, you have a higher chance of experiencing a variety of health effects, such as:

high blood pressure
weakened immunity
memory loss

However, the risks go beyond the standard effects of sleep deprivation.

A 2019 study found that sleeping with artificial light, such as that from the TV, was associated with an increased risk for obesity. The study found that this risk was increased even if there was no decrease in the quantity or quality of sleep that participants received.

So, even if you’re getting a great night’s rest in front of the TV, it might still hurt your health in the long run.

Sleeping with the TV on has some serious potential consequences. However, there are a few experts who say it’s not always the worst idea.

For one thing, it’s always better to get some sleep than to stay awake all night. If your choice is between not sleeping at all or sleeping with the TV on, you should pick the TV.

Here are few other reasons it might be OK in some cases.

1. It can act as white noise

Many people use the hum of the TV as a kind of white noise to help them sleep. They’re not listening for lines of dialogue or plot points, but simply enjoying the comforting background noise.

White noise has been shown to be an effective sleep aid.

2. TVs give off less blue light than other devices

TVs give off blue light, but it’s less intense than the blue light you’d get from your cell phone, tablet, or laptop. The less blue light an device gives off, the less potential it has to harm your sleep.

3. Familiar sounds can help people sleep

In contrast to studies about TV or blue light and sleep, older studies have shown that listening to music while you sleep can actually promote healthy sleep.

Music has even been used as an effective insomnia treatment for some people. Some researchers think that listening to any soothing or familiar sounds, even if they come from the TV, could have this same effect.

4. Familiar fictional worlds can reduce stress

We all have TV shows or movies that we find comforting on a bad day. There may even be science behind this.

A study from 2012 found that engaging with familiar fictional worlds can be restorative and help with self-control. Falling asleep to a show or movie you’re already familiar with may help your brain relax.

So, if you need to sleep with the TV on occasionally, it’s likely OK. However, choose the TV you watch carefully. Try to select familiar, low-key shows or movies and avoid action movies or live news channels.

Setting a sleep timer for your TV can also help. The timer will automatically shut your TV off after you’ve been asleep for a set amount of time. This can be a great way to use the TV to fall asleep without keeping it on all night.

Letting the TV shut off after an hour or so will lessen the amount of blue light you get during the night, which could lessen the possible health effects.

Tips for good sleep hygiene

It can be hard to get a good night’s sleep, especially if you’re dealing with stress. Some great tips to help you improve your sleep include the following:

Don’t consume caffeine or other stimulants in the evening.
Don’t eat too late in the day.
Avoid naps during the day.
Avoid alcohol.
Try to get some natural sunlight during the day.
Get plenty of exercise but not right before bed.
Keep a regular sleep schedule, even on your days off.
Take a melatonin supplement.
Try nighttime showers or baths.
Make sure your bed and bedroom are comfortable.
If there’s light in your room at night, wear a sleep mask.

Many people sleep with their TV on every night. Experts are generally against this, because sleeping with your TV on can reduce the sleep you get, interrupt your body’s melatonin production, keep your brain overstimulated, and lead to long-term health effects.

If you’re going to sleep with the TV on, there are few ways to reduce the negative effects. Choose a TV show or movie you’re already familiar with, and set a sleep timer on your TV to keep it from playing all night.

Sleeping with Your TV On: Pros and Cons

Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your health.

But that doesn’t mean it’s all bad news if you love sleeping with the TV on. In fact, for some people, it might be an OK choice for a solid night’s rest.

There’s been a lot of research into how the technology we use every day affects our sleep, weight, stress levels, and overall health.

While much of this research is still ongoing, the general consensus seems to be the same: If you can avoid using this type of technology while you’re in bed, you should.

That’s why you’ve likely heard it said that you shouldn’t be on your phone right before bed. It’s also why most researchers and sleep experts recommend not sleeping with the TV on.

There are several reasons sleeping with your TV on probably isn’t the greatest idea.

1.

It can increase your sleep debt

Experts recommend that adults get around 8 hours of sleep every night. Any amount of sleep you get that’s less than that 8 hours is referred to as sleep debt.

When you sleep with the TV on, you might actually be getting less sleep than you think. This can increase your sleep debt.

2. It decreases your melatonin production

3. It stimulates your brain

When your brain is stimulated, it can cause the sleep you do get to be restless and not the deep sleep your body really needs.

When you have nightmares, it’s often hard to fall back asleep. This can lead to a decline in your quantity and quality of sleep.

4. It can affect your health

Keeping the TV on while you sleep can lead to getting less sleep. Without adequate sleep, you have a higher chance of experiencing a variety of health effects, such as:

high blood pressure
weakened immunity
memory loss

However, the risks go beyond the standard effects of sleep deprivation.

So, even if you’re getting a great night’s rest in front of the TV, it might still hurt your health in the long run.

Sleeping with the TV on has some serious potential consequences. However, there are a few experts who say it’s not always the worst idea.

For one thing, it’s always better to get some sleep than to stay awake all night. If your choice is between not sleeping at all or sleeping with the TV on, you should pick the TV.

Here are few other reasons it might be OK in some cases.

1. It can act as white noise

Many people use the hum of the TV as a kind of white noise to help them sleep. They’re not listening for lines of dialogue or plot points, but simply enjoying the comforting background noise.

White noise has been shown to be an effective sleep aid.

2. TVs give off less blue light than other devices

3. Familiar sounds can help people sleep

In contrast to studies about TV or blue light and sleep, older studies have shown that listening to music while you sleep can actually promote healthy sleep.

4. Familiar fictional worlds can reduce stress

We all have TV shows or movies that we find comforting on a bad day. There may even be science behind this.

Letting the TV shut off after an hour or so will lessen the amount of blue light you get during the night, which could lessen the possible health effects.

Tips for good sleep hygiene

It can be hard to get a good night’s sleep, especially if you’re dealing with stress. Some great tips to help you improve your sleep include the following:

Don’t consume caffeine or other stimulants in the evening.
Don’t eat too late in the day.
Avoid naps during the day.
Avoid alcohol.
Try to get some natural sunlight during the day.
Get plenty of exercise but not right before bed.
Keep a regular sleep schedule, even on your days off.
Take a melatonin supplement.
Try nighttime showers or baths.
Make sure your bed and bedroom are comfortable.
If there’s light in your room at night, wear a sleep mask.

Sleep and mental health experts explain why it's dangerous to fall asleep while watching TV | Lifestyle

Ideally, we should all turn off our electronic devices at least half an hour before bed, take a bath, read a relaxing book, meditate, and then fall asleep on fresh lavender-scented sheets. But for so many people on our planet, in fact, this process includes watching TV and trying to sleep at the same time.

Everyone knows that sleeping with the TV on is a bad habit. Experts in various fields recommend removing TVs from bedrooms (or never putting them there) and that's fine, but thanks to streaming services we can "watch TV" from our laptops, tablets and phones as well, so it's basically accessible to everyone at any time. time. And is it really that bad?

Why falling asleep in front of the TV helps some people

People suffering from anxiety and PTSD often resort to this method. No matter how much breathing exercises they do or read boring articles, they are afraid that instead of falling asleep, the brain will start thinking about what they really don’t want to think about at all: deadlines, failures, sick friends and relatives, politics, possible unintentional resentment, about what happens to our body after we die.

According to Rose McDowell, chief scientist at Sleepopolis, many people fall asleep with the TV on to block out other sounds or distract themselves from thoughts or feelings of anxiety when they fall asleep. Others find the sound of the TV soothing and may find it difficult to fall asleep in silence.

Why Experts Say It's Bad to Fall Asleep with the TV

Rebecca Cowan, Ph.D., a licensed professional consultant, emphasizes that sleep hygiene is important because it is linked to our mental well-being. In addition, falling asleep with the TV on can disrupt the production of melatonin, which is the hormone that helps us sleep soundly. She believes that there are no circumstances that can justify sleeping with the TV on.

Terry Parall, an expert at the Sleep Improvement Council, explains that watching TV can reduce the amount of time we get to sleep, for example if we get caught up in the show and continue to watch it instead of sleeping. She also notes that our brains are still processing sounds when we sleep, so leaving the TV on all night can interfere with rest. Similarly, Mark Burenne says that in the pre-deep sleep stages, our brains perceive voices and can respond to them.

Burenne also mentions the blue light emitted by the TV as another disadvantage, as it is a signal for our brains to stay alert and can prevent us from falling into deep sleep.

There is no perfect solution

Of course, falling asleep with the TV on is not the best solution, but not everyone is convinced that giving it up should be a strict rule. For example, Janine Joy, Ph.D., a sleep researcher, says such recommendations don't account for individual differences. Just as there is no one specific diet that is perfect for everyone, there is no one perfect way to fall asleep that is optimal for everyone.

This is why some people manage to sleep well with the TV on. But Joy says that if a person goes outside early in the day and exercises, the blue light from the TV may not disrupt their circadian rhythm as much, and they may sleep better with the TV on than without it. She recommends using sleep actiography to check its quality when the TV is on.

Joy points out that there are a number of scenarios where turning on the TV while falling asleep can be helpful. For example, a TV can block out outside noises such as barking dogs, sirens, neighborhood fights, and music. Eva Cohen, a certified sleep coach, says that for people with mental health conditions like PTSD, TV show distractions can help in some cases. But, like most other experts, she emphasizes that it's best not to watch TV for two hours after bedtime, and to consult a therapist to find the best coping mechanisms for mental problems.

What to try instead

If you absolutely can't fall asleep without the TV on and don't want to try other methods, some experts have suggested wearing blue light-protective goggles at night. However, this method is not recommended by ophthalmologists.

Instead, just make sure your TV's sleep timer is on - ideally 30 minutes, up to an hour. Also, be careful with gear selection. To relax and fall asleep, watch something boring: no politics, no gunfire, no violence. It is best to choose some comedy, especially that one. which you have seen a million times.

But if you want to sleep without a TV, what can be an effective substitute? Try listening to binaural music through headphones. Few studies show that binaural beats can help improve sleep quality. Other experts recommend falling asleep to relaxing music. You can also try reading fantasy stories before bed. This will help you better express your emotions and reduce your stress levels.

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Sleeping in front of the TV, gadgets and other holiday killers.

How to spend an evening to finally get some sleep

People fall asleep in front of the TV in the living room and then toss and turn in bed all night. They work until late at night - and do not close their eyes until the morning. They drink coffee and energy drinks, do not get enough sleep because of them, and in the morning they cannot open their eyes without another cup. How to spend the evening so that you sleep well, says somnologist Hans-Günther Wees in the book "I Can't Sleep", which was published by Bombora.

Evening is a favorite time of the day for many people. We try to relax, indulge in leisure or idleness, in order to find a balance with everyday stress. This is an important condition for deep and restorative sleep.

Sometimes we have business in the evening, something urgent needs to be settled. In this case, it is still necessary to arrange a rest in advance, before going to bed, to be distracted, to forget about duties. The end of hard work and chores that prevent the feeling of fatigue. From this moment on, you need to avoid activities that drive away sleep, otherwise you will be in trouble.

Good sleep hygiene should be practiced, and I don't mean now that you should go to bed after taking a shower… What should be done to promote the necessary relaxation?

Lighting in the evening

Light is an important sensor of sleep and wake time. Scientific advances can go a long way in planning the perfect sleep-inducing evening.

Melatonin, the hormone of sleep, is no companion to the light. It is produced by our pineal gland only in the dark. However, it begins to stand out already with the onset of twilight, in order to reach a concentration sufficient for a feeling of fatigue after a few hours.

When we turn on light sources similar to the sun in the evening, we deceive our brain, it seems to it that it is still daytime and there is no need to produce melatonin. We are awake and do not want to sleep. It turns out that the light has a dark side. We already know that all sources that have a high proportion of blue light in the frequency range from 446 to 477 nanometers are similar to the sun and inspire our brain with “day”. Blue light is emitted primarily by LCD, LED, neon and some energy-saving lamps.

If you want to keep the evening feeling of tiredness, it will be useful to refuse from these sources or reduce their use. Studies show that the absence of evening artificial light contributes to the onset of fatigue and falling asleep. Tourists living in tent camps, who spend the whole day outdoors in natural light and do not have artificial lighting in the evenings, get tired faster and go to bed a little earlier.

However, you do not need to immediately go to the campground, or sit in the evenings in the dark, or read by candlelight for a good night's sleep. Be calm, light alone has not yet deprived anyone of sleep, and we have not yet healed insomnia by replacing lighting either. However, changing the light bulb can make sense, and many light sources can be dimmed to reduce the amount of blue light. For computers, by the way, there are programs that filter out the proportion of blue light from LED screens in the evening.

Smartphones and tablets, due to the smaller radiation surface, probably do not have such a significant effect on the production of melatonin. However, banishing them from the bedroom can help for other reasons. Last but not least, they remain important tools for staying connected, and if you are waiting for a long time, you will not be distracted.

Sleeping in front of the TV

A large number of people sleep best in front of the TV, although it is bright and loud. Sounds and lights that send many sleepers later climbing their bedroom wall surprisingly do not disturb them in front of the television. Despite the flickering screen, interference and noise, a person slips into the realm of dreams.

But as soon as he is in bed, everything should be quiet and dark. Otherwise you can't sleep! And even a partner cannot publish a single squeak. The mere fact that he simply lives, breathes and occasionally moves interferes.

Even a tiny standby light is in the way. He, in fact, is not visible, but we know that he secretly, under the pillow, glows. Some may be so pissed off by this knowledge that there is no point in even thinking about sleep. Only when they get out of bed once again and unplug the plug can the sleep-promoting inner peace come.

Someone who falls asleep in front of the TV in the living room cannot have an organic cause for a sleep disorder. Or do you know a disease that only shows up in the bedroom and not in the living room when you sit on the couch?

Some of my patients, who are very obsessed with the organic cause of their disorder, always look at me with big eyes when they ask this question. It is very hard to believe that in fact there are no obstacles to sleep. Everything is just in my head! It surprises me time and time again under what conditions people - including those who suffer from a sleep disorder - can doze off when they are just relaxed enough and the carousel of thoughts stops.

For many, the TV is like a sleeping pill: they turn on the device, but turn off themselves. They sit in front of a matte screen and allow themselves to be stuffed. At the same time, one's own restless thoughts go into the background, overlapped by other impressions. It really is a great way to relax, isn't it? For this reason, many people put a TV in the bedroom. It works all night or endlessly turns on and off.

Such sleep does not bring rest! Now loudly, now quietly, engines roar, shooting, crying, howling. The noise level is constantly changing and causes tiny awakenings that prevent the onset of full stages of sleep. Sleeping in front of the TV is the #1 sleep killer!

In other words, television is not the best sleeping pill. The one who sleeps in front of the TV in the living room, even before going to bed, drives away a very important feeling of drowsiness on his sofa.

In addition, the subsequent rise and washing before going to bed signal the body to be active. If after that you can’t fall asleep again in bed, there is nothing to be surprised.

Many, however, simply can't stay awake in front of the TV. Here's a tip: as soon as you notice that fatigue sets in, get up and do thirty squats. If there are stairs where you live, you can run up and down a couple of times instead.

What to drink before bed

A person should drink enough fluids. Water and tea are just its suppliers. Fruit juices contain vitamins, but you should take into account the large amount of sugar in them, due to which fermentation processes begin in the intestines.

Those who drink a lot of liquid at night have to get up more often to go to the toilet. That is why it is better to drink a little during the day and be more reserved in the evening.

Coffee increases activity and thus affects the sleep-wake cycle. Caffeine stimulates the cardiovascular system, promotes blood flow to the brain, and increases fluid excretion through the kidneys. In addition, it blocks adenosine receptors in our brain, which are responsible for feeling tired. Caffeine can last up to eleven hours, so people with hypersensitivity to it should not drink another cup of coffee after dinner.

Many people do not know that black and green tea also have a stimulating and invigorating effect, so they should be consumed as carefully as coffee, but fruit and herbal teas can be drunk right before bedtime.

In our non-stop society, many are waking up with energy drinks that increase performance. The effect of energy drinks cannot be stopped at the snap of a finger before going to bed, so a person does not sleep well after taking them, and the next day he has to drink an energy drink again. For some, this turns into a vicious circle.

Hot milk with honey is considered one of the best drinks to improve sleep. The amino acid tryptophan, found in milk as well as bananas, oats, chocolate, beef and poultry, is delivered directly to the brain along with the carbohydrates found in sweet honey to produce the "sleep hormone" melatonin. But even without hot milk with honey, the body should produce enough melatonin, which is necessary for sleep.

Do not overestimate the effect of soothing teas containing valerian, lemon balm, hops, lavender, St. John's wort and other stress-relieving additives. But if you solemnly prepare yourself hot milk with honey or tea for sleep, relax and calm down, then in itself the combination of a “drink for sleep” and a relaxation ritual will still provide a small miracle, and you will fall asleep.

Many people drink alcohol in the evening because it supposedly helps them sleep. For famed news anchor Karl-Heinz Koepcke, for example, a glass of wine in the evening was the perfect vehicle for a blissful sleep. But, using the term popular today, we can say that this is a "fake".

Not that Koepke regularly drank a glass of wine, but that this ritual promotes undisturbed sleep. Alcohol acts as a tranquilizer, it makes us quiet and calm, because of it we lose strength and get tired quickly. Red wine, which contains tannins and phenols, in addition to calming, is also credited with an additional relaxing effect.

If you do not delve into the essence, then we can say that alcohol could be a good sleeping pill. In fact, it is a bad sleeping pill, because even in relatively small doses it negatively affects the quality of sleep: alcohol suppresses deep sleep. In the second phase of sleep, it provokes restlessness, awakenings, sweating, nightmares, and longer periods of wakefulness. It makes sleep generally disturbing and not very healthy.

And alcohol consumed in large quantities is a very bad helper in matters of sleep: those who drink themselves until they lose consciousness, and then supposedly sleep for a long time, feel worse the next day than before sleep. So instead of skipping a glass, it is better to drink another calming drink, which is included in the constant evening ritual.

Sleep ritual

I know, I know, it's not easy to relax after a busy and busy day at work! It is extremely important to get things done before the evening and end the day on time. Finish housework, turn off the TV; it is also better to postpone remote work until tomorrow and not do it before bedtime.

Plan your day so that there is time between household chores and sleep, which you will spend on positive and calming emotions. Good books, music, radio shows, relaxation treatments, journaling, or anything else that works for you will help you.

Get creative with evening activities; everything that causes you positive emotions and helps you relax is allowed. The motto of good sleep is to relax and feel comfortable. No matter what you choose, it is important that you consciously end the day with a bedtime ritual.

Go over the last few hours in your head and ask yourself: what was the best thing about today? What I've done? What is left and what needs to be done tomorrow? If it helps, write down on a piece of paper or in a diary what is bothering you and what remains to be done. Sometimes this is the best way to relieve internal stress.

There is no single relaxation method that works for everyone. The best method is not one that is recommended by an expert, but one that suits you personally, helps you relax and feel carefree, confident and secure. Who wins is right!

Many people relax by listening to music. Exceptions prove the rule, but here we are most likely talking about soft sounds and a slow rhythm, which are better for relieving tension. Scientifically speaking, rhythms that are slightly slower than your own heart rate are best for relaxation, although sounds from nature, such as the sound of the sea or birdsong, will also work.

Light reading can also help you relax. And it doesn't have to be the latest thriller. Take at least an old collection of fairy tales. If you didn't choose the horror story of the Brothers Grimm, then you will have a sense of security and safety that you first experienced when mom or dad read fairy tales to you. Some of my patients in the evenings again take out cassettes with radio plays that they listened to as children.

Science confirms that a hot bath before going to bed has a powerful sleep effect.

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