TV on or TV off when going to bed?
By vivasuzi
@vivasuzi (4127)
United States
July 16, 2009 10:14pm CST
My husband likes the TV on as he goes to bed. I, on the other hand, can't sleep when I hear the TV or see it's brightness. Luckily he goes to bed before me so he gets his 1 hour of TV time. What gets me is he always sets the timer for 1 hour, but he's usually passed out within 10 mins. Whenever we do go to bed at the same time, I make sure I have the remote and as soon as hes out, I turn it off.
My problem is also that I get interested in the show! There have been times I am exhausted, I go to bed and close my eyes and start to drift. Then I hear something in the show he left on, I slowly wake up and suddenly I'm watching the show! I figure it keeps me up an extra 30-60 mins whenever that happens!
So what about you, tv on or tv off? And if you and your spouse have different tv habits, how do you deal?
6 people like this
29 responses
@AjithAnnadurai2009 (429)
• India
17 Jul 09
i m also watching tv at late night . i m set timer for one hour and start my sleeping because i like to hear songs when i m started to sleeping
2 people like this
@cchitnarain (136)
• United States
17 Jul 09
I don't watch much tv but my husband loves to watch tv all night long. He'll fall asleep with it on for hours and I'll just take it off. I don't have much of a problem with the tv on but I'd rather it not be if we're not actually watching it. The same thing happens to me! I get interested in the show and stay up longer than I need to, that's why I just record later shows or watch the re-runs. There are very few shows that I follow myself.
2 people like this
@ravinskye (8237)
• United States
17 Jul 09
My husband doesn't like me to leave the tv on all night. It doesn't bother him as far as sleeping though. It is more just because it is a waste of electricity. Plus our room only has one outlet. So he is worried that with too much stuff plugged into it something could happen. I'm the same as you though, something will catch my eye when I'm getting into bed and there I am an hour later still watching tv lol
2 people like this
@khayshenz (1384)
• United States
17 Jul 09
I used to have TV off when I go to bed - that was before I met my bf, who loves watching TV. He works his butt off so he deserves it. Now that I'm so used to it, I leave it on and set it to sleep for an hour. Sometimes I do catch a good show and end up staying up to watch it.
Now it's flipped! Though he says he doesn't care whether the TV is on or off when we sleep, he turns it off as soon as I hand him the remote. Hahahahaha.... It doesn't matter to me though. I usually sleep easily when he's here. When he's not here is when I leave the tv on and set it to sleep.
2 people like this
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
28 Jul 09
I guess everyone changes over time with things like this! My husband always wants the TV on when he goes to bed, and while I can live with it sometimes, if I've VERY tired I cannot have the TV on b/c it distracts me. That's why I'm glad he goes to bed earlier than me, b/c then he can have the TV on and he usually is asleep by the time I get there and turn it off :)
Ironically, when he's not home for the night, I do want the TV on! I think the light and the noise makes it easier for me to sleep when I'm alone. Otherwise I end up thinking I hear noises throughout the house
@smartone2009 (220)
• United States
17 Jul 09
I have to have the Television On. I put in a dvd and watch it while im laying down. And thats what gets me to sleep. If i have the television off. I will just sit there and think constantly and eventually get up cause i cant fall asleep. So i leave the Television on all night. lol
2 people like this
@meganlynn425 (27)
• United States
17 Jul 09
Im not married so I dont have to go around someone elses scheldule, but I have noticed I sleep better with thte tv off. When the tv is on, I also get distracted and watch 1 or 2 shows, another big problem of mine is seeing infommercials and feeling the undying need to buy the product at 3 in the morning. I have been trying to have more self control and simply flick it off, but here I am on Mylot, tv is not my only problem.
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
17 Jul 09
If my husband falls asleep on the couch and does not come to bed I will usually turn the tv on to help me fall asleep. If he is in bed with me then we will usually turn it off. I couldn't hear it over his snoring anyways. 
. Every once in a while he will want to watch something but usually but he falls asleep on the couch a lot, and then just comes up later in the night and turns off the TV.
. Every once in a while he will want to watch something but usually but he falls asleep on the couch a lot, and then just comes up later in the night and turns off the TV.2 people like this
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
17 Jul 09
:) I try not to fall asleep on the couch b/c if I do, i won't want to get up! Then when I finally do get up I'm too "awake" to go back to sleep. Anyway, sounds like you guys have a pattern going on:) Funny how marriage can do that! I go to bed a lot of nights and the TV is still on, b/c it's been less than 1 hour, and I just turn it off. He doesn't even notice.
1 person likes this
@karubod (603)
• India
17 Jul 09
yes even i don,t like such disturbances , for good sleep there should not be any kind of noises or light .unfortunately many people have this habit of watching television till late night , i don't like this habit.it seems you are disturbed subconsciously by the t.v shows coming .so keep away from all that and get good sleep.
1 person likes this
@UK_Shree (3603)
•
27 Jul 09
I need complete silence when I am trying to sleep! And I need complete darkness too, so there is no way I like having the TV on when I am trying to get to bed. I don't know how people can sleep when the TV is on - I do feel drowsy sometimes when I am watching TV, but I couldn't have it on in the background if I was trying to sleep.
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
17 Jul 09
Depending on the time I go to bed I will put the TV on for a little while and then when I get really tired I shut it off and go to sleep. I sleep alone so I don't have a problem with anyone elses bedtime habits.
1 person likes this
@amybrezik (2118)
• United States
17 Jul 09
I used to be the same as you. Now I fall asleep much easier with the tv on.
2 people like this
@akuler (3531)
• Malaysia
17 Jul 09
Hi vivasuzi,
I always (if not all the time) off my TV off before I go to bed. If I have interesting show to watch, I will make sure that I have energy to stay wake up. Otherwise I go to bed without watching it. I love to watch my favorite football match live. Since this program played in Europe, I always wake up at early morning (2 or 3am). I will make sure I had enough slept before to make me not sleepy during that match.
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
17 Jul 09
Wow now that is dedication :) I can't get up that early for nothing! One weekend I tried to get up at 3 AM to play this game where I had to do something at 3 AM to earn cash... It was way harder to wake up then I thought! I had to force myself to keep my eyes open for the 20 mins I had to do what I needed to do... then I passed out after that!
I am the opposite as you though when it comes to watching something when I'm tired. If I realy want to watch something, I will no matter how late. I am addicted to some shows and even if I get home at 11, I'll turn on my DVR and watch what I taped before bed.
1 person likes this
@candy2306 (576)
• India
17 Jul 09
I watch tv at night before sleeping, but I always off the tv. On the other hand, my spouse gets to bed earlier and don't like the brightness and the sound. I try to reduce the sound as low as possible, now he is okay with the brightness. Sometimes, he will still wake up due to the low volume!
@Wink24 (167)
• Philippines
17 Jul 09
hello.. actually, i don't have spouse, but about your question. i watched first all the sjows i want to watch then if it's already sleeping time, then the tv is off. i know that watching tv while waiting for us to sleep is a good idea (i think) but i feel bad, whenever i fell asleep while it's still open, because it's a waste of electricity that will soon be add up to your electric bill.hehe.. anyway, i think it's okay to watch tv until midnight as long as you'll turn it off before sleeping.. happy mylotting
2 people like this
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
17 Jul 09
I actually think people sleep better if they turn the tv off before bed. One health tip I read from some health site (I think webmd) was that we should turn the TV and computer off about 1 hour before bed so our brains can unwind. Obviously I dont listen to that! But I do think I have a more disrupted sleep when the TV is on b/c I'll hear things or see a bright flash of light and wake up.
1 person likes this
@imsilver (1665)
• Canada
17 Jul 09
I have no problem sleeping with the TV on. Which is a good thing because my other half is up long after I've fallen asleep. I'm on medication that I take at about 9 in the evening; by 10:30 I'm fast asleep. Even before I was on this though, I'd still fall asleep watching whatever movie it was that we were curled up to. LOL.
My boyfriend had to go out of town for work for a couple of weeks and I found that I was keeping the TV on at night just because I'm used to the background noise as I fall asleep now.
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
17 Jul 09
I prefer it on but then to put it on sleep timer. However my hubby is lazy and won't put it on sleep timer and I wake up in the middle of the night with it on and it drives me batty! But due to the way our kids co-sleep I usually sleep with them (otherwise I get no sleep at all) and their room does not have a tv.
@loveykoh (72)
• Philippines
17 Jul 09
before, mine is tv on. i can't sleep if i turn off the tv first, i just let it on and sets the timer to 30mins. that's why my husband and i agreed when we transferred to our new house that we will not place a tv in our bedroom. most doctors advised that having a tv in bedroom is not good especially for the kids. they advised that our minds should be relaxed so we can sleep early and we'll have a good night's sleep and watching tv can't contribute well to achieve this.
