What Happens When You’re Sleep-Deprived?
There are numerous reasons why the United States is a nation of insomniacs, and stress is certainly near the top of that list, but another often overlooked cause has to do with your bedtime ritual. The most common activity done every night (or almost every night) before bed for Americans of all ethnic groups is watching TV. According to NSF’s poll, 75% of African-Americans, 72% of Hispanics, 64% of Whites, and 52% of Asians watch TV within one hour of going to bed. This is a mistake, as research suggests that television can cause irregular sleep patterns and sleep difficulties. Aside from the obvious impact of purposely staying up late to catch your favorite late, late show, violent images on TV stimulate your body’s “fight or flight” response to stress. But since you know that the threat is not real, you suppress it. This engages your brain in a constant mode of impulse and suppression, and when you turn off the TV, all of this built up impulse must be released, which may make it diff
