Researchers have actually proven the threat binge-watching poses to our sleep.
In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine , researchers found that over one-third of binge-watchers experience poor sleep. Further, there was a strong relationship between the frequency of binge viewing and its negative impact on sleep quality. The more participants engaged in binge-watching, the worse their sleep, and the more often they experienced daytime fatigue and other insomnia symptoms.
Researchers attribute it to two main factors: Your heart pounds and you become more alert as your brain literally tunes into the action.
Meanwhile, your brain releases more dopamine, the pleasure chemical that mimics the feeling of being high. The more you watch, the more dopamine is released, and the more your brain craves it. Unsurprisingly, pre-sleep arousal is stronger with dramas and video games than other type of content consumed on electronic devices. Problematically, those are exactly the types of shows people are most likely to binge: Unfortunately, the blue light in these electronics is the form of wavelength perceived most strongly by our brains. Screen time before bed not only makes it harder for you to fall asleep at night, but it makes it tougher to stay alert the following day.
Things only get worse if you use Netflix as a form of sleep procrastination. A study by the University of Texas at Austin found that loneliness, lack of self-control, and depression were correlated with binge-watching TV. Another study also observed a tendency for binge-watchers to have poor mental and physical health.
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Disturbingly, one study found that excessive TV viewing is linked with eight eight! The inherent sedentary nature of this fan-favorite hobby distracts you from physical activity. Before you decide to binge-watch, know this: Still not willing to kick your binge-watching? We all need a way to unwind after work, and binge-watching seems to be an especially popular way to do it.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has put out their own set of guidelines to keep your binge-watching from wrecking your sleep.
Binge Better: 11 Ways to Be Healthier When Watching Too Much TV
Follow these to go on a Netflix binge and sleep well. Your body uses light as a cue for your sleep-wake cycle. After each show, she recommends getting up from the couch and doing … anything. A walk around the block. Do something to get up and moving. Hu, adding that even driving and reading are more physically active.
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Superhumans could opt for a five-hour walk on a treadmill, but we mortals can do something as simple as everyday chores. Plenty of studies suggest that even when we exercise regularly , too much sitting can still shorten our lifespan. If your binges are five hours and up, even an hour of hard-core exercise might not be enough to undo the damage of sitting. Coming soon from Apple: Not yet concerned about the effects of bingeing on your appearance?
Once these structures are damaged, we see sagging and wrinkling. Chris Bailey, the productivity expert, once conducted an experiment: In one month he watched hours of Netflix, curious to see how it would impact his mind-set.
22 Netflix Tips to Boost Your Binge-Watching
While the idea of planning your binge sessions with that level of detail may seem unappealing, Bailey says it will enhance your experience. Drink water — lots of it. The theory is that when the water is cold, your body has to work harder to warm it up, burning a few extra calories. Take your weight in pounds, then divide it by two.
Then drink that number of ounces. As a bonus side effect, this will force you to frequently get up and go to the bathroom, which gets you moving. Consider an actual TV. Whether you binge on a laptop, tablet, phone, or an actual honest-to-God television like our grandparents used is a matter of preference and convenience, though picking the TV might have a sneaky upside.
22 Netflix Tips to Boost Your Binge-Watching - TheGhub
TV screens are generally further away, so eye strain and reduced blinking rates are probably less of an issue. Will TV rot our brains? The jury is still out. Go the fuck to sleep.