Your Television Viewing Might Keep You Awake
Watching an exciting movie in the evening is a favored way for
many people to relax after a long day of work. They look forward
to getting home, having dinner and then sitting down to be
entertained. After hours of watching television, they decide to
turn in for the night and instead of falling fast asleep, they
spend the next several hours rolling around in their bed,
suffering from insomnia.
When we watch something exciting or thrilling on television, our
adrenaline gets pumped up and it becomes difficult to calm
ourselves down to a point where sleep comes easy. Our minds also
become engaged and trying to quiet that down can be a problem,
especially if what we were watching was troubling or upsetting.
If our emotions are running high and the end of the day is near,
we might either lose sleep because it takes longer to fall
asleep or we suffer from insomnia and wake up the next morning
having had little or no sleep.
We don't always associate our insomnia with what we've done in
the evening. Instead we attribute it to work problems or other
worries. That is true at times but it might be that our minds
wander to other things as we lay in bed unable to sleep because
we've been so stimulated by our viewing choices. Television has
a direct impact on a person's emotions and if you've spent the
last two hours before bed watching a horror movie, your heart
has raced enough that simply falling fast asleep is no longer an
option.
If you feel as though you might be losing sleep because of what
you are watching in the evening, finding another activity might
be the key you need to a full eight hours of straight sleep.
Some suggested alternatives are:
Reading a book or a magazine. Choose something that you find
genuinely interesting to read, this will help you relax and will
aid in sleep.
Play a board or card game with your family. Spending time with
those you are closest to is a perfect way to wind down your day.
Take a warm bath. Immersing your body in a tub full of warm
water helps to relax your muscles and soothes the body helping
with sleep.
Take a walk. Getting outside and exercising can tire you out
enough that you'll drift quickly off to sleep.
Mental stimulation is important when it comes to driving,
studying and learning. There are moments in our days when we
have to be completely alert and awake. One time we don't want
that to happen is in the evening as we get into bed. Your
evening activities can be a precursor for whether or not you'll
suffer from insomnia.
Choose to spend your time before bed doing something relaxing
that allows you to calm down and prepare your body for a full
night's rest. Exciting activities are better left to earlier in
the day when you want and need to be wide awake.