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Tuesday's Health Report: The health effects of falling asleep with the TV on
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BATON ROUGE — If you like to fall asleep with the TV on, you are not alone.
Many people seem to have the same bedtime ritual, and there are reasons for that.
"I know we're not supposed to have our TV on at night, but I think more than half of the Americans fall asleep with their TVs on. It is soothing, it is calming to us, it's almost akin to having white noise,” psychologist Chivonna Childs said.
Experts say some people may also like to have a show or movie on to help distract them from racing thoughts or feelings of loneliness.
And while that may be beneficial at the moment, being exposed to blue light from your TV or phone can ultimately disrupt your quality of sleep. Research shows blue light can prevent the body from releasing melatonin, which plays a crucial role in regulating your sleep-wake cycle.
Some content can even affect your dreams.
“When you're falling asleep, I would be very mindful of what you're watching. Let's watch something like a romance or a comedy. I would avoid watching true crime. I would avoid watching any news because that can be anxiety-provoking. Watch something that makes you feel good at night,” Childs said.
Instead of watching something before bed, experts say you could try reading, journaling, meditating or listening to calming music. You could also use a sound machine or have a fan going for background noise.
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