According to the Office for National Statistics in the United Kingdom, a person watches approximately two hours and 17 minutes of television per day. But few know the effect this habit has on the whole, beyond entertainment. Mike Kocsis, a hormone expert warns that this ritual has a harmful effect not only on the hormonal aspect, but also on the quality of sleep.
"Symptoms of feeling fear or emotion affect each other. As a result, the body reacts to movies or programs that have drama or events, just as if they were in love,” says Kocsis.
According to him, the heart rate increases by 42%, the blood pressure as well, as the body enters an extraordinary experience mode. As soon as the body realizes that you are experiencing something because of what you are seeing on TV, the brain releases the hormone dopamine.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is secreted by the hypothalamus of the brain. In fact, the sudden release of dopamine is why we 'binge watch' various television productions.
It seems that this habit also affects the quality of sleep, depending on what you watch on TV.
Kocsis says that: “Most people are inactive in front of the TV, focusing only on the blue light emitted by the screen. Blue light suppresses the production of melatonin, i.e. the sleep hormone, leading the brain to believe that it is still daytime and therefore sleep is delayed."
According to sleep experts at Time4Sleep, over 50% (50.9%) of Brits have a TV in their bedroom.
But this study doesn't just focus on the British, but people of all nationalities, focusing on the effects that television has both in terms of hormones and sleep quality.
If you experience fatigue, mood swings or anxiety after watching long hours of TV, then make sure to reduce the hours you spend in front of the screen.
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Source: HuffPost
