I've never had a TV in the bedroom. I read for a bit, then put in earplugs and nighty night. I think noise would be totally distracting.

I think most sleep hygiene experts state that TV in the bedroom is a no no. Maybe try a differnet routine and see how it works.

I used to need the radio playing to fall asleep. I don't remember when I stopped that. Now I read every night. Usually puts me to sleep pretty quickly.

Try the radio or other music source. The flickering of the TV screen probably messes with your sleep more than you realize.

---

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

A big ditto on the reading to sleep. Sometimes I'll watch tv in another room till I'm dozy, then move into bedroom.

Girl Gone is a great read, btw -- good enough to keep you up, though.

I'm the opposite, the thought of noise in the bedroom gives me insomnia. :-)

I haven't had a TV in my bedroom since college, but that's because I would watch entirely too much of it. (Every hotel stay confirms this... ) I'm with the read before bed crowd. It doesn't matter how tired I am, I have to read at least for a little while before I can sleep. It quiets the mind or something.

If you want to get rid of the TV but keep the noise, you might try a fan or white noise machine. I have a friend who swears by this approach.

Michelle

---

------------------------------------------------------------
The beatings will continue until morale improves

I've read that ALL sleep studies agree that having a tv in your bedroom impedes good sleep. Sleep is a mental exercise, so making your bedroom soothing and peaceful has been proven to assist in better sleep (feeling more rested after, not waking up in the middle of the night, etc).

We (since I have to share the bed ^_~ ) opt for as dark and quiet as possible. We typically read in bed for ~20 min before turning out the lights, letting the brain quiet down. My main goal is to be consistent - I go to bed at the same time each night, so my body expects it. If I lose track of the time, I'll find my body starting to shut down on me. Must be 11!

Of course, so much of this goes out the window before race day. We're typically in a hotel room with screaming kids in the hallway, sleeping fitfully because of noise from the mini-fridge/ac/outside.

---

-----------------------------------------------------------------
You. You make me stronger.

Thanks everyone for the good suggestions. Once again the womens come through. I'm thinking that my ART guy has this TENS unit on crack that bites pretty good. He has a white noise machine with the ocean & sea birds that takes your mind off of the zappage. I'll have to look around & see if there isn't a CD or something like that. Great ideas! My unrested body thanks you.

~~ kate

http://www.irnwmn.blogspot.com
http://www.stayclassy.org/irnwmn
http://www.semperfifund.org

We removed the TV from the room a few years ago as the light from the display was bright. Making our room darker has helped a TON.
But we also sleep with a fan and I have all my life no matter the season. I simply love the noise of the fan and the air flow, even in the winter. Now my wife, bless her heart, cannot sleep without a fan even when I travel out of town. Yes - I do travel with my own fan! But I sleep very well every night. Try the fan!

I have a TV in the bd but often don't have it on. Fung shui says close all doors to the bd (even to an adjoining bath). I've never had an issue going to sleep (get in bed, turn off light, close eyes, sleep), but in the past couple of weeks I've closed the doors and have been sleeping much better. No more waking up at 2:00 AM for a few minutes.

---

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

I don't watch TV but I do surf while in bed before I go to sleep. I know it's bad for me... but I have no trouble falling asleep pretty much instantly.

It's more *staying asleep* that is the problem!

Darker is HUGE. Even though we're apartment dwellers, I've installed blackout curtains in our last 4 bedrooms. Anything to make the experience consistent each night!

---

-----------------------------------------------------------------
You. You make me stronger.

I know all the sleep experts say no tv, dark yadda yadda
but for me, especially since moving to NYC, the tv is white noise and I fall asleep easily.
feel rested, sleep well
YMMV

Boyfriend has always had the tv on to go to sleep. He's a heavy enough sleeper that he says it doesn't bother him & sleeps right through it. I, however, am not. I used to set the sleep timer, turn volume down really low so it really just becomes white noise & fall asleep. Now I sleep in earplugs so the volume has the same net effect. The light drives me nuts & I either use a mask or cover my eyes with something. At some point in the night I usually wake up & turn it off unless I'm really tired. When he's traveling I turn it off & play some nature sounds on my phone with a sleep timer. I'd like to think I don't notice it with the earplugs/mask & I have no problem initially falling or getting back to sleep if I happen to wake up.

My parents raised me to sleep with sound going on - vacuuming/discussions/car noise/radio/tv/etc - I apparently slept harder than if I went to sleep in quiet where any noise woke me up. I think that still applies as I focus better in noisy places than with utter quiet (hence being on ST while sitting in a very quiet corporate office today). But I really like quiet, cool, dark rooms too, I just have to wait for my brain to slow down & zonk out.

I don't think it could hurt, a little peace & quiet, relaxation & serenity never hurt anyone....

---

AW

i used to have a tv in my bedroom and now I don't have any TV. I just read at bedtime and that lulls me to sleep, or some music on the radio will work.
I find I am sleeping much better than with a TV nearby to amuse me.

I typically fall asleep watching a movie on my laptop or reading. I like to shut my eyes and listen to the dialogue - that usually helps me fall asleep.

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

I can't fall asleep with noise. I use earplugs and it has to be dead quiet.

I stopped taking my laptop into my bedroom, only read (kindle so no back light) have a dim light on when I read (enough to read by) and have been sleeping better than ever. I'm still trying to break the habit of checking my phone in my bed, but since it's my alarm clock, I might have a hard time doing that.

I even cover up my clock so the room is completely dark. I have probably 100 CDs with "music" etc designed for meditation, quieting the mind. The best, by far , is anything by Liquid Mind. I sometimes have to hit the button several times a night.

No tv in the bedroom ever. I don't need the idiot box interfering with sexy time - I already have work & training to do that! Reading, maybe crosswords, snuggles, etc. is all I need now. I used to have a radio (Bose docking station for iPod actually) beside me for tunes but the white noise coming off that thing actually made sleeping worse.

AP

---

------------------------
"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

I also put a Lavender body balm on my arms before bed and I swear the aromatherapy helps me sleep better.

I have pretty bad insomnia. To deal with that, I have a white noise machine that I got from Brookstone and I also wear earplugs. I read in bed before I go to sleep. Absolutely no TV!

---

---
IM Coeur D'Alene 2011
IM Wisconsin 2011
http://alexaharding.blogspot.com

I read or watch a netflix fave out in the living room until I get really sleepy, then I go to bed. We have a tv in the bedroom but hubby usually goes to sleep before me so when I walk in, I just shut it off and I'm out like a light. On the rare occasion where he's still up, the noise drives me crazy!

---

__________________________________________________
Twitter: @jayasports
Web: http://www.jayasports.com

I took the TV, VHS, and DVD and all the stuff that accompanies it out of the bedroom this morning. Got some light-blocking shades and will install them, training time permitting. It's a busy one today: run, yoga, swim. The lavender sounds terrific, and so does some background noise of some sort (other than my 13-year-old blind basset snoring like a buzz saw). I wish I could close the door, but I'm afraid the two black labbies who normally sleep in the living room would raise a ruckus if their skin-mom weren't readily accessible. Sigh.

This sounds a little nutty, but I'm wondering about painting the walls a dark restful color ... deep magenta? I know, the resale value would shoot down, but as long as I'm here, I'm thinking it might be a good (though strange) idea. I still have all of the little stars on the ceiling from when my younger daughter had a loft in there ... just can't seem to bring myself to remove them. They are peaceful somehow.

Great ideas, all! Many thanks.

~~ kate

http://www.irnwmn.blogspot.com
http://www.stayclassy.org/irnwmn
http://www.semperfifund.org

IIRC dark colors are activating and same with red family

Let us know how it goes.

I have to have it dark and quiet for me to sleep. Absolutely cannot fall asleep with a TV on, never ever had one in the bedroom.

I don't have many talents in life but I am exceptionally good at falling alseep. I just turn off the lights, close my eyes and within 5 minutes or so I am out. Drives my wife nuts... she tends to worry about work stuff and lie there awake, I leave all that at the office.

---

How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?