By Kayla DeKraker
Do you turn on your favorite TV show to help you wind down before bed? Doing so could actually have the opposite effect.
“‘I just have to watch the last episode’ of whatever show you’re watching, and you end up cutting out half an hour or an hour of sleep,” Dr. Daniel Amen, a psychiatrist in California, said of the harm caused by late-night TV watching.
That lack of sleep impacts our ability to make good decisions the following day.
“Don’t make important decisions the next day, because your brain has not been properly ‘washed.’ And you’re just more likely to make a bad decision,” Amen warned. “If you want your memory better tomorrow, go to bed half an hour early tonight.”
He emphasized that our shows will always be there, adding that, while skipping sleep for TV might not seem like a big deal, it really comes down to how much we care for our bodies.
“How much do you love yourself?” Amen asked. “Because doing the right thing is never about deprivation.”
He added, “I want energy. I want memory. I want focus. I want passion. I want purpose. I want blood flow. I never want to do anything that hurts [the brain].”
When it comes to forming new habits, Amen suggests focusing on what you gain rather than on what you’re giving up.
“It’s about the abundance of what I want rather than what I can’t have,” he said. “You’re going to get serious about brain health.”
Amen is serious about sleep, too.
“Good sleep is essential for optimal brain and body health. It is involved in rejuvenating all the cells in your body, gives brain cells a chance to repair themselves, and activates neuronal connections that might otherwise deteriorate due to inactivity,” he wrote in his book Change Your Brain, Change Your Body.
First, he suggests “Sleep envy,” referring to a term he coined that means you care about your sleep. Second, “Avoid anything that hurts sleep, so bright light, a noisy room, a warm room, turn off your gadgets and caffeine.”
He explained, “Kill the caffeine, especially after 12 o’clock, and then engage in regular, healthy sleep habits. So, get a routine and turn off your gadgets.”
Related: Sadie Robertson Huff Talks Anxiety, Good Habits, and More with Dr. Daniel Amen
Finally, Amen explained that praying and practicing gratitude before bed can improve sleep.
“What I do is I say a prayer, and then I go ‘what went well?’” he said. “And I start from the beginning of the day, and usually by the time I get to noon, I’m asleep. But if you focus on what went well that day, it’s going to put you put your brain in a healthy state for sleep.”
Prioritizing sleep is one way we can glorify God. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 reminds us, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
Who knew that turning off the TV at night could be a way to honor God and the bodies He’s given us?
Read Next: Here’s How Screen Time Before Bed Results in Terrible Sleep
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