Pages

Thursday, August 28, 2008

No TV in the Bedroom = Happy Couple (At Least this Couple)

When we moved into our apartment in DC we decided against putting a TV in our bedroom. The decision was partially due to lack of space for the TV and difficulty wiring cable into the bedroom, but also because we wanted to spend time reading and talking before bed.

After reading this article from MSN about the things super happy couples do daily, and hearing about some of the things they do (especially the igloo)...I realized we have our own weekday nighttime routine that makes us both super happy.

I think not having TV in the bedroom has helped us establish this routine. We get in bed around 10ish, read for a bit, talk about our day/life/qualms/whatever (which usually includes warm fuzzies at the end of the conversation, which always make me super happy), and then fall asleep pretty quickly feeling happy and content. It's definitely one of my favorite parts of the day!

In addition to giving us a little ritual, I think it has helped our sleeping habits as well. Alson has never had trouble falling asleep (he is out as soon as his head hits the pillow), but I would always stay up until at least 12am, usually watching Sex & the City and Will & Grace reruns on the CW. When I did finally try to sleep, my tossing and turning would wake Alson up, thus disrupting his sleep. Not good. We were always tired and zombie-like. I can't say for sure whether removing a TV from our bedroom is solely responsible for alleviate these problems (there are multiple confounding factors...living in a new place, being finished with grad coursework, reduction in anxiety due to formerly looming life changes, getting married, etc.), but I have definitely been sleeping better. And let's be honest, I have already seen every episode of SATC and W&G...no need to watch the reruns every night.

Side note: During the Olympics I wished we had the TV in our bedroom, especially on the nights when gymnastics and swimming were on past 1am! Good thing they only come around once every 2 years (I love winter Olympics too!) and only last two weeks.

Do you have a TV in your bedroom? How does it effect your sleeping habits? What makes you (as an individual or as a couple) super happy?

4 comments:

  1. having no tv in the bedroom definitely makes sleeping easier. i grew up with a tv in the bedroom, i was always lulled to sleep by M*A*S*H & Newhart. when i finally moved out on my own i was curious about the concept of not having a tv in there and tested it out. it took a bit of time to adjust but soon i was falling asleep when i put my head on the pillow. it's conditioning. if you're body is used to staying up once you're in bed, that's what it'll do. if it used to just sleeping in there, that's what will happen. it makes the bedroom more relazing overall.
    i have to say that i added a tv back in my bedroom recently and while i was only using it on hungover and sick days when i refused to get out of bed it's starting to effect my sleep again. i'm watching at least one W&G episode a night. i should get rid of it, but M likes to turn on SportsCenter to wake up and i have no willpower.

    anyway, keep the tv out of your bedroom, you're doing the right thing. and what a great way to have a little "us" time every day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ...sorry, i just saw how long that comment was...

    ReplyDelete
  3. We don't have a TV in our bedroom, but we definitely still don't get into bed by 10. I am impressed. How are things going with school? Is Alson studying a lot? Now that I get up later for work I stay up later too, which is really not a good idea. Glad you guys have that time together.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have a tv in my room....but, I live in a studio/efficiency, so there really is no other room :) When married, I'd prefer not to have a tv in the bedroom for many of the reasons you've stated. Lately, I've been trying to turn the tv off for at least 30 minutes or so before bed, and I feel like it is helping me get to sleep faster!

    ReplyDelete