Not Rested? Turn Off the TV and Shut Out the Lights

After a long day, many Americans enjoy a nightly ritual that consists of curling up in bed and watching a favorite television program. In fact, a 2011 poll by National Sleep Foundation found that 95 percent of polled 13-to 64-year-olds use some form of electronics within the hour before bed at least a few nights a week. In that same poll, 43 percent of respondents claimed to rarely or never get a good night’s sleep on weeknights.

A new study suggests that the quality of sleep you get is directly affected when you leave the television set on.
Reuters Health reports that this study found that even low light from a lamp can interfere with your sleep, causing it to be lighter with more micro-arousals. Micro-arousals occur when the brain is near awake.

Why is this not ideal? Well, it’s important for your body to go into a deeper sleep for better mental and physical health, including improved memory functions.

Though this type of study is new and more research needs to be conducted, it might be worth a shot to take it into consideration before you dose off. If you feel like you won’t quite make it through that TV episode without falling asleep, turn it off, turn out the lights and get some good rest for a change.

Sources:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_142557.html
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/press-release/annual-sleep-america-poll-exploring-connections-communications-technology-use-

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.