What Sleeping With The TV On Can Predict About Your Mental Health – Health Digest

Some people like a calm, quiet, cozy bedroom that’s dark and cool. Others prefer to fall asleep amid the constant noise and flickering light coming from a nearby TV. In fact, a Sleep Foundation poll found that 52.7% of individuals watch TV right before hitting the sack. And many don’t bother to turn off their screens before turning in for the night. While occasionally dozing off while the TV’s on probably isn’t something to worry about, you might wonder if sleeping with the TV blaring in the background could affect your mental health. As it turns out, relying on TV as a sleeping aid might result in negative outcomes for some people.

According to Dr. Alexandra Stratyner, a New York City psychologist, the need for TV to induce sleep can indicate a conditioned dependence on external stimuli to rest. Explains Dr. Stratyner in an exclusive interview for Health Digest, “This behavior might reflect difficulty transitioning from daily stimulation to relaxation, pointing to stress or work-life imbalance. For individuals with sleep disorders like insomnia, the TV may serve as a coping mechanism to distract from the frustration of not being able to fall asleep.”

The good news is that Dr. Stratyner doesn’t view falling asleep to the TV as always being a sign of a mental health issue. However, she admits that the practice could highlight mental health areas — such as stress, anxiety, and loneliness — that deserve attention. Plus, she notes that before-bed screentime can be problematic in general.

Why is bedtime TV watching not recommended? In addition to images and sounds, TVs emit blue light as well, which can interfere with viewers’ circadian rhythms. An older 2017 study published in Chronobiology International identified what seemed to be a correlation to nighttime exposure to blue light (coming from TVs and computer screens) and lowered performance in the morning. The reason? Blue light mimics the effects of natural light from the sun on our minds (via the Sleep Foundation). In turn, this “resets” our circadian rhythms, which can lead to sleep problems like insomnia. It can also exacerbate depression and related conditions.

Dr. Stratyner agrees and adds that exposure to artificial light in the evening “may be linked to weight gain and metabolic issues” as well as poor sleep. Ultimately, this can lead to a decline in mental health in the form of anxiety, depression, and stress, as well as impaired cognitive function. Older adults are especially prone to memory and attention problems related to disruption of circadian rhythms, she says.

What if you just can’t get to sleep without having ambient sounds, though? In that case, Dr. Stratyner suggests healthier alternatives, such as white noise (which you can achieve with the use of a white noise machine or similar devices). Or, if you’re unwilling to go “cold turkey” on bedtime TV watching, Dr. Statyner notes that you can start by slowly kicking your before-bed TV habit by setting a timer. When the timer goes off, turn the TV off.

Other recommendations from Dr. Stratyner include maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and, of course, addressing any psychological issues causing you to keep the TV on all night. As she notes, “Therapy, mindfulness, or relaxation techniques can help manage these concerns. By implementing these strategies, individuals can transition from relying on the TV to healthier, more effective sleep practices.”

As a side note, you may want to better organize your binge-watching if it’s contributing to your TV-always-on bedroom routine. According to a Morning Consult poll, at least 60% of adult TV watchers have binge-watched a show, putting them at risk of experiencing negative outcomes like unhealthy eating, stress, and sleep deprivation. Consequently, you may find it better to time your binge-watching to earlier in the day to lower the chance of your favorite series becoming a mental health and wellness nightmare.