Numerous individuals maintain their televisions operational throughout the night as they slumber. The illumination can serve as an effective nightlight, ensuring that the space isn’t excessively dark and intimidating. The sound also provides a pleasant background noise which can be comforting. Additionally, some simply struggle to turn their TV off due to binge-watching and dozing off while enjoying their favorite programs. However, if you prefer not to replace your TV, or if you enjoy tracking your sleep quality through devices like the Samsung Galaxy Watch, you may want to think twice about keeping it on.
Keeping the TV on all night disrupts your sleep quality. The light and sound send signals to your brain, prompting it to stay alert. Inadequate quality sleep, especially on a regular basis, can lead to issues with concentration, memory problems, and increased anxiety. Furthermore, having the TV on all night can harm your screen, not to mention raise your electricity costs.
It deteriorates your sleep quality
Excessive light in your bedroom at night can mislead your brain into believing it’s still daytime. Televisions emit blue light, a high-energy visible light also produced by the sun, which enhances alertness and delays the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that aids in falling asleep. Even though the TV isn’t as bright as natural sunlight, the constant flow of blue light can disturb your body’s circadian rhythm, or natural sleep-wake cycle, making it difficult to fall and stay asleep.
Audio from the TV can be equally disruptive. Your brain remains partially alert while you sleep, processing voices and sounds for possible dangers. Dialogue, in particular, keeps the mind engaged, even if you aren’t actively listening. This disrupts the brain’s regular functions during sleep stages.
Although TV can hinder sleep, the issue can be remedied by keeping it off. In a conversation with sleep.com, clinical psychologist Dr. Sumi Raghavan suggested, “As a general rule, habits change gradually. Let’s presume you’ve gained some insight into your sleep patterns and feel motivated to alter them. I would start small, perhaps lying down with either a soothing podcast or music for 10 minutes. When the timer rings, if you’re not feeling relaxed or closer to sleep, and you truly want the TV on, you can turn it on. But continue practicing for 10 minutes each night for a few nights, then extend the time to 15 minutes, and eventually to 20.”
It can harm your TV and be pricey
If you allow the TV to stay paused or maintain it on the same image, such as a home screen, it could impair the picture quality. This may lead to what is known as screen burn. This results in the appearance of an image seemingly permanently burned onto your TV screen due to pixel deterioration. OLED televisions are particularly at risk because their pixels both produce light and create an image.
Keeping the TV on all night will also boost your electricity bill, as you are consuming power passively during that duration. No one enjoys inflated bills when the money could be saved or spent on something enjoyable.
While it may be a challenging habit to break, turning your TV off at night is ultimately beneficial. The light and sound overwhelm your brain, preventing sufficient sleep. It can potentially harm your screen, and it will incur additional costs.
