More than two-thirds of people living in developed countries watch TV before bed, research shows. In one survey, a range of 66% to 80% of respondents in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany and Japan said they regularly watch TV during the hour before sleeping. A study of children age 5 to 18 in New Zealand found that the participants spent an average of 30 of the 90 minutes before bedtime watching TV. Exposure to television before bed is thought to disrupt sleep because the TV light might be overstimulating.
More about bedtime habits:
- People in the US and Japan get the least amount of sleep, with about two-thirds of Japanese people and about half of all Americans getting fewer than seven hours of sleep each night before a workday.
- People sleep in for an average of 45 minutes extra on their days off from work.
- Less than half of all people in developed countries get what they consider a good night’s sleep every night or even almost every night.
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