Is TV Life stealing our sleep time?

A surprise result of recent study of over 21,000 people aged 15 or older found that television viewing was the most popular activity for the group in the two hours leading up to their bed time. It seems that we would rather watch TV than get enough sleep!

The authors of the study, Mathias Basner, MD, MS, MSc, and David F. Dinges, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, were shocked to find that the television schedule was more of a timing factor than more natural hours past sunset or other more biological factors (like feeling tired!). So it seems that TV may be making people stay up late. That coupled with the alarm clocks making them get up earlier that they would like reduces the time spent sleeping to less than what is physiologically needed.

Routinely sleeping less than 7-8 hours daily impairs alertness and is linked with increased obesity, diseases and early deaths. Despite this fact, up to 40 percent of Americans will sleep for less than the recommended time per night.

“Given the relationship of short sleep duration to health risks, there is concern that many Americans are chronically under-sleeping due to lifestyle choices,” said Dinges. Dr. Basner added that “According to our results, watching less television in the evening and postponing work start time in the morning appear to be the candidate behavioral changes for achieving additional sleep and reducing chronic sleep debt. While the timing of work may not be flexible, giving up some TV viewing in the evening should be possible to promote adequate sleep.”

It would make sense then to just watch less TV, certainly if it means you don’t get enough sleep. There will clearly be times when you need to enjoy life and a late night now and again wouldn’t cause a problem. But to systematically limit your sleep is just plain crazy.

If it gets towards your ‘normal’ time for bed and you don’t feel sleepy then it would be far better to read or listen to gentle music than to switch on the television. Either that to try to shift your start time for work so you can catch that late night show!