Recent studies connect binge-watching television shows to more sleep deprivation among younger audiences and even early mortality rates, according to the Daily Helmsman.
A study published last August in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicinefound that people who binge-watch shows are more likely to miss out on necessary sleep. Of the 423 total 18-25-year-olds studied, 98 percent of the ones who identified as “binge-watchers” reported signs of fatigue, insomnia and poor sleep quality. The people in this study were reported to have a “higher cognitive pre-sleep arousal,” which negatively affected their rest.
For a 2015 study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology,researchers looked at 10 other academic studies involving a combined 647,475 people to determine that “prolonged TV viewing time might increase the risk of all-cause mortality.” “Given the high prevalence of excessive TV viewing,” the study stated, “public health recommendations or interventions aimed at decreasing the amount of TV viewing time in modern societies are warranted.”
