Is Watching TV Before Bed Bad For You?
Short answer
Yes, watching TV before bed can be bad for you. It increases the temptation to stay up later, and the stimulation may disrupt your ability to fall or stay asleep.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
After a long, hard day, television seems like the perfect way to chill out and wind down. Most Americans agree: a National Sleep Foundation survey found that 95 percent report watching something on a screen (laptop, phone, tablet, etc.) at least one hour before bed, with 60 percent of those stating that their screen of choice is the TV.
But watching TV before bed can have a serious impact on your quantity and quality of sleep. And here’s why: the amount of sleep needed varies by the individual. But as a general guideline, the National Institutes of Health recommends that healthy adults get somewhere between 7 to 9 hours of shut-eye each night for optimal function.
Unfortunately, most of us don’t get the recommended amount of sleep. In today’s fast-paced society, most people sleep less than seven hours each night. And technology has something to do with it: a 2009 study in Journal Sleep revealed that quitting pre-bedtime TV was the best way to get more sleep.
It makes perfect sense when you think about it. How often have you stayed up to catch the end of a movie? How many times have you started streaming the next episode of a season? Watching television before bed makes it too easy to keep watching—which cuts into sleep time.
Even if you do manage to shut off the TV and go to bed at your target time, your quality of sleep may not be that good. Although TV seems like a great way to relax, it’s actually stimulating. There are moving pictures and complex story-lines for your mind to follow. And as the plot thickens, you can get physically stressed. Your body may enter a “fight or flight” mode, triggering the release of the stress hormone cortisol, which helps keep you alert and awake.
The stimulation of the TV’s screen light is also problematic. Your internal clock is designed around the rise and fall of the sun. And when the sun sets, your body should start to produce melatonin, a hormone that helps you gradually fall asleep. However, artificial lights like TV screens can trick your body into thinking that it’s still daytime, so it won’t produce melatonin—making it extremely difficult to fall or stay asleep.
Sleep deprivation can do serious harm to your body. In the early stages, you become less alert and it’s harder to perform everyday tasks. If you continue to lose sleep, it can impair your memory and your brain’s ability to process certain information. It also begins to seriously impact your health: for those reporting less than seven hours of sleep per night, studies have shown an increased mortality risk. In particular, one study revealed that reduced sleep is an even greater mortality risk than heart disease, high blood pressure and smoking.
Possible short-term side effects
- trouble falling/staying asleep
-
drowsiness
-
memory loss
-
impaired cognitive function
Please turn your Ad Blocker off to see this content. Thank you!
Approved by 
