A plethora of studies have indicated that using the phone before bedtime is detrimental to sleep quality. However, few studies focus on binge-watching the shows and movies that instantly release on multitudinous streaming platforms and people just can’t stop themselves from watching that first episode.
One piece of such evidence suggested that young adults are more prone to binge-watching than older people whereas women are the most likely segment of the population to be following the practice.
The blame-worthy buzzword is “must watch” shows or movies that “you do not want to miss”. Either it could be due to the fear of missing out (FOMO) or the actual fandom of a series or movie that fans have been waiting for long, and now that it has landed, they don’t want to miss it, even if it means depriving themselves of sleep.
However, this is not what we are here for. The post enlists a handful of programs that are destroying sleep patterns. The fact is backed by some sleep experts from Onebed who have identified four principally guilty shows or programs.
Stranger Things (Season 4)
Millie Bobby Brown felt her eyes welling up when the production got wrapped this year for Stranger Things' fifth and final season. But sleep experts recommend not getting fooled by “just one more episode” before bedtime.
We understand its fourth season is thoroughly entertaining, thrilling, witty, absorbing, stimulating and whatnot, but the flashy neon visuals and pulsing beats are a direct signal to the brain and stress hormones, which is definitely a red flag.
The intense scenes are known to elevate stress hormones since watching kids in danger is a serious trigger in itself. While the brain wants to know more about what will happen next and how your own protective antennas would get alert in order to check what’s next, the show is indubitably an undercover sleep disruptor.
Succession (Final season)
British writer and creator of HBO series Succession won four Emmys for the show, one for each. It's for a reason.
Although the show is a comedy satire drama which, you may think, is not apparently as bad as Stranger Things, but guess what? You’re wrong.
It’s a hit, but unfortunately, harmful before bed. Why? Because the Roy family drama is a classic brain alarmist for keeping you awake for hours.
Certain life-or-death moments in the show keep you hooked throughout the episode, and the special part comes when the episode ends. Despite the laugh-out-loud moments of the drama, the complex power play keeps you glued for hours.
Again, a red alert for your brain before bedtime. The stress levels rise and mental engagement soars high with sharp dialogues and intricate character development. The brain automatically transits into problem-solving mode rather than focusing on lullabies that would pat you back to sleep.
The Last of Us
Don’t get us started on watching a zombie apocalypse before bed. It certainly is a no-no from the sleep experts. Your brain is not ready to handle all the unsettling details and emotional depth that the show has portrayed, which, of course, is an electrifying experience, but not recommended for peaceful sleep at night.
A particular disruption that the show causes is staying activated in fight-or-flight response mode coming from the brain. The processing of each scene with the backdrop of settings where zombies wreaked havoc is the ultimate overdrive for a human brain with sensitive storytelling.
The constant tension keeps cognitive arousal high, which means that keeping the brain alert for too long before bedtime causes it to stay in hyperactive mode resulting from such stimulating content.
The brain would ask your body to stay ready for threats rather than allowing it to function otherwise, which should be staying calm, counting the sheep jumping over the fence and going to sleep.
Oppenheimer
The pre-sleep arousal is again high when you watch Oppenheimer before bed, the experts verified. It means the brain staying active while causing great fatigue for the binge-watchers is inevitable.
We agree that the movie isn’t as intense as the list has suggested above, but it is surely a “cognitive triple threat” according to sleep science. The viewers also are aware that the explosive visuals are a work of CGI wizardry and VFX but the scenes that are impactful enough to overwhelm your brain’s normal functioning at night, right before sleep time, are not approved.
The scenes involving atomic development, tests and moral crises are all too heavy for the brain to stay sane and not trigger anxiety responses. It is equally disturbing to see how history is full of tension, instigating a self-perpetuating loop of apprehension and hypervigilance.
What have we discovered thus far?
We have discovered that these programs are not fatal, and no such program is a life threat. However, now is high time that you take serious precautions and plan the content you are to watch before bedtime.
Experts suggest that you must have a gap of three hours between watching such high-stimulating content and your bedtime. Hence, scheduling your binge-watching for natural sleep is peremptory.