What happens to our bodies when we fall asleep with the TV on?
2024.08.21 13:55
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What happens to our bodies when we fall asleep with the TV on?
Stars Insider's Story
Many people fall asleep while watching television. When we fall asleep while watching TV in the living room, most of us think it's a signal to go to bed and go to sleep. But what happens when we fall asleep while watching TV in bed? It's very likely we'll fall asleep with the TV on.
However, sleeping with the TV on can impact the quantity and quality of your sleep, as well as your overall health. However, there are also some potential benefits. Let's explore both sides of the coin in this gallery.
Sleep debt increases
Sleep debt is determined by calculating the difference between the amount of sleep you need and the amount of sleep you actually get each night.
Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep. So, watching a little more TV at night increases your sleep debt. This isn't good news for your overall health.
Excessive sleep debt has been linked to a variety of health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Sleep debt has also been linked to increased risk of car accidents and falls, especially in older adults.
Melatonin levels decrease
TVs emit blue light. This type of light disrupts our circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle).
Blue light suppresses the production of melatonin, the hormone that tells our bodies it's time to sleep.
A 2022 systematic review found that exposure to blue light "may have negative effects, including decreased sleep quality and duration."
Disrupts sleep REM cycles
Watching TV late at night "can delay falling asleep and reduce rapid eye movement (REM) sleep."
REM sleep has several restorative functions, including processing emotions and consolidating memories. This is the sleep stage in which we experience vivid dreams. Deprivation of REM sleep can affect how we regulate emotions and how memory functions.
Watching TV right before bed affects how long it takes us to fall asleep, but sleeping with the TV on interferes with deeper, more restful, and restorative sleep.
The brain is stimulated
Watching TV stimulates the brain. Increased brain activity makes it more difficult to relax. Numerous studies have shown that using electronic devices before bed can negatively impact the duration and quality of sleep.
Falling asleep with the TV on constantly stimulates your brain. Both the content you watch before bed and the sounds you listen to while you sleep can affect your sleep.
A 2016 study published in Dreaming magazine found that what we watch can influence our dreams. For example, people who watch violent content are more likely to have violent dreams.