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Television can cause insomnia

Watching a movie or the latest television series is a popular way for people to relax of an evening after a long day's work. They look forward to getting home, having dinner and then sitting down for some entertainment. After hours of watching TV they go to bed expecting to fall asleep only to spend the next few hours lying wide awake in bed.

When watching an interesting TV show, our minds get engaged and it can be difficult to calm ourselves down afterwards and become relaxed and ready for sleep. This can be a problem if you are watching something exciting or thrilling as much as something upsetting or troubling. If your emotions are running high you might lose sleep as it either takes longer to get to sleep or you'll keep waking up during the night then waking up the next morning having had little or no sleep.

You may not associate insomnia with what you've done in the evening, instead attributing it to problems at work or other worries. Although that might sometimes be the cause of insomnia, other times it's due to being too stimulated by what you have been watching on TV. Television has a direct impact on your thoughts and emotions and if you've spent the last two hours watching a thrilling murder mystery, your adrenaline will be high and the last thing you'll be able to do is fall asleep.

If you think that watching television might be the cause of your insomnia, finding another evening activity might be the solution to getting a full nights sleep. Some possible alternatives to watching TV include:

Reading a book or magazine. Choose something that you find genuinely interesting as this will help you relax and will aid sleep.

Play a board or card game with your family. Spending time with friends and family is a perfect way to wind down your day.

Go for a walk. Exercising can tire you out enough to send you straight to sleep. Try to go early on in the evening to give your body and mind time to calm down.

Take a warm bath. This is the perfect way to end an evening. The warm water helps relax and sooth your muscles helping you to go to sleep.

Mental stimulation is important when it comes to working and studying but not for when you want to go to sleep. Your choice of evening activities can be the cause of insomnia so choose those activities carefully. Spend you time before bed doing something relaxing which enables you to calm down after a long day, preparing your body for a full night's rest.