NHS urges UK households to avoid common habit 57% of people do at night

Settling down to sleep can feel like utter bliss, especially if you've had a long or particularly stressful day and as the weather gets colder. However, millions could be robbing themselves of those extra hours of sleep they desperately crave when the alarm goes off in the morning because of one seemingly innocent nighttime habit.

It will vary from person to person what 'enough sleep' means for their bodies. Despite what most are told, there is no universal target, as everybody has different needs when it comes to overnight recovery.

The NHS reports on its website that, on average, adults need between seven and nine hours, while younger people need much more. Depending on their age, children need between nine and 13 hours, while toddlers will benefit most from getting between 12 and 17 hours a day (including naps).

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Experts suggest that "you probably do not get enough sleep if you're constantly tired during the day". One common habit may be responsible for disrupting the sleep of both adults and children - and there's an easy solution.

Many of us will lead lives that are so busy, the only chance we have to sit and watch TV can be as we wind down for bed. This habit can seem harmless enough, but it could be responsible for keeping you awake later at night, starting a vicious cycle of tiredness.

It's hard to put an exact figure on how many people in the UK will have a TV set up in their bedroom, but a recent report suggests that at least half of people in TV-owning households have one in their bedroom. A 2024 UK Sleep Survey by Dreams found that over half (52%) of people have a TV in their bedroom, and a 2022 survey by Bensons for Beds also indicated that 57% of Brits have a TV in their bedroom, with the bedroom being the second most popular place to watch TV.

According to the NHS, watching television stimulates your brain with sound, light and motion. All of these will start to "stimulate your body and reduce fatigue".

In an NHS document online, it says: "Watching television in your bedroom can affect sleep quality as your body gets out of the habit of being trained to go to bed to sleep. Therefore, remove [the] TV from [the] bedroom."

Studies typically show that TVs in the bedroom are linked to negative outcomes, including increased screen time and sedentary behaviour, poorer sleep quality, higher rates of childhood obesity, and lower academic performance, particularly in children.

Dr Hana Patel, resident sleep expert at Time4Sleep, says that there are a few good habits you can get into if you're not prepared to fully ditch your device. She said: "I would generally advise against having a TV in your bedroom.

“If you do like to watch TV before drifting off to sleep, I would recommend turning it off at least half an hour before you go to bed as this will help the mind to wind down before bedtime. If you do rely on the television to fall asleep, then I would recommend watching a program that is both visually and audibly relaxing, such as a nature documentary which includes lots of water or ocean sounds.”