How to Binge Watch Without Impacting Your Sleep

Good sleep is the bedrock of optimum health and performance. A good night’s rest is imperative for our physical and mental well-being. And the key to good sleep is a consistent sleep routine – which means sleeping and waking up at the same time every day.

But, in the world of OTT and trending shows, it may be hard to stick to the same sleep schedule on some days. You might end up binging on your favorite show till the late hours of night and mess with your sleep routine. While this is certainly not ideal for our sleep hygiene, we’re allowed to indulge every now and then if we keep a few tips in mind.

Here’s what to know before you Netflix and chill the next time -

1.Tone Down the Blue light – Studies have shown that the blue light emitted from our devices adversely affects the melatonin production in our body. Melatonin is the hormone responsible for regulating sleep. To avoid this, always wear blue light filter glasses while watching television at night. This prevents the blue light from messing with your melatonin production, thereby aiding good sleep.

2.Separate your Sleep Environment – A recommended practice for good sleep is to associate your bedroom with sleep only. Keep a separate space in your house for watching any shows or scrolling on your phone. Absolutely do not binge watch while lying down on bed. When we watch TV in our bed, our body stops associating lying down in bed with sleep. This makes it difficult to fall asleep when you’re ready for it.

3.Establish Your Own Sleep Rituals – We are in an active state of mind when binging on shows. Going to sleep immediately after this can be tricky for the brain. Give yourself at least 10-15 mins to calm your mind. Establish a sleep ritual of your own, which may include listening to calming music, infusing your room with soothing aromas or journaling before bed. Choose a nightly routine which will help your mind relax and come in a state of sleep before you enter bed.

4.Set your Apps Right – A simple trick to take control of your viewing is to switch off the auto play option on your OTT app. When watching any show, we experience a dopamine rush which keeps us craving for more. The auto play option gives in to this craving making us hooked on to watching episode after episode. Instead, take back the control of your viewing in your own hands. Take a break between every episode to gather your thoughts. This significantly reduces the urge to binge indefinitely.​

5.Set the Tone for the Next Day – Try and wake up at your usual waking time the following morning, to set your body back into its routine sleep cycle. This may be hard especially if you’ve had an extremely late night. An effective way to combat this is to take a quick 20-minute power nap during day to catch up on lost sleep. Power naps can significantly help reduce our sleep debt and decrease the ill effects of bad sleep.