Want to sleep better? Knock Out the TV Before Bed.

Research suggests late night TV viewing contributes to sleep deficits.

One hundred years ago before the advent of television and even when electricity was not as abundant as it is today, people went to bed when it was dark out. The average sleep time was about 9 hours per night per person. 

“Lights out” really meant something. 

By contrast in society today          the average sleep time is around 7 hours per night, give or take a few winks. A new research study which looked at the sleeps habits and bed time rituals over 21,000 participants in age groups 15 and over between 2003 and 2006, presents interesting data. 

What do you do before going to bed?  

Do you: 

          Read? 

          Watch TV? 

          Work? 

          Play/work on the computer? 

          Eat? 

          Listen to music? 

More important: Does it matter to your health? 

Yes, it does.  Here’s what the survey says. 

It was reported that TV viewing was the most common activity performed in the period two hours before going to bed.  This accounted for almost half of all activities which were done in this time period just before retiring to go to bed at night. This finding suggests perhaps that TV, rather than paying attention to one’s own body, has become the signal for when to go to bed.  

People who may stay up late to catch their favorite show maybe ignoring what their body is telling them. Often times these are the people whose alarm clocks are waking them up earlier then they would naturally awaken, had they completed a normal sleep cycle. 

It is no secret that sleep recommendations are still for 8-9 hours per night, and researchers at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine are a little concerned about this. There are known relationships between shortened sleep durations and health risks, as well as shift work (truck drivers, nurses, and factory workers) to both cardiac and renal disease.  

So, the authors conclude that something must give.  

People are making lifestyle choices and sacrificing sleep because they can simply get away with it.  They’ve learned how to deal with it. 

The buffet of caffeine and energy-boosting drinks that has exploded in the past 6 years in the American lifestyles keeps the juices flowing.  It keeps people “wired”.  However researchers warn that the growing rates and epidemic levels of obesity are not only linked to dietary and lifestyle choices with regard to activity, however; there is definite linkage to sleep habits. 

Okay, so many of you are guilty.  What does this mean?  

It means you risk the following: 

          Increases in high(er) blood pressure; 

          Increases in body weight; 

          Decreases in mentally acuity & alertness; 

          Reduced energy and stamina to get through a day; 

          Increased stress (decreased coping with life’s problems); 

          Delayed healing/recovery from illness/injury; 

          Hormonal changes; 

I’ll stop there…I don’t want to overwhelm you. 

Many people ask me similar questions.  One of the most frequently asked questions I’ve had in recent years (besides ‘should I use ice or heat?) is “What kind of bed should I be sleeping on?”   

Since I’m into telling the truth, I never recommended anything that I hadn’t prior experience with or that didn’t have some valid research behind it.  But I do recommend to patients that there are a few things you shouldn’t skimp on:  

1. Your nutrition 
2. Your shoes 
3. Your bed 

Go to the next page for the KEYPOINTS!

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