If you watch television before you go to sleep, you’re not alone. According to a National Sleep Foundation poll 60% of Americans watch television right before falling asleep. But should you watch TV to fall asleep?
For many people, watching TV before going to sleep is a nightly ritual and others find the background noise relaxing and claim it helps them fall asleep. Experts note though that the light and sound from your TV may be preventing you from getting into the deeper stages of sleep. As Dr. Jain, a sleep medicine specialist, notes: “Between the flickering of the screen and the chance that whatever’s on next could be more stimulating content, you might linger in the lighter sleep stages—causing you to miss out on some of the important restorative work the body does during sleep, such as consolidating memories and healing muscles.”
Falling asleep with the television on also subjects you to blue light exposure and blue light can disrupt the production of melatonin (the hormone that helps keep your sleep/wake cycle in check) and also delay sleep, leading to morning drowsiness, irritability, lack of focus and even muscle aches. And while watching TV might be better than watching a show on your phone or another device, there’s always the chance you may become dependent on watching TV as a sleep aid.
If watching TV calms you down so you can sleep at night then maybe it’s not a bad thing; just aim to watch your favorite show an hour before you actually plan on going to sleep and put your TV on a timer. If you suspect TV may be messing with your sleep, try listening to a podcast or music on low volume, a meditation app or a white noise machine. You can find white noise sounds and other relaxing tones by downloading the Rain Rain app.