What is a bedroom for, anyway?

[Defend Tacoma]

For those who are married, living with your significant others or have done either in the past, I pose a question...

Should there be a television in the bedroom?

I have been with my wife for the past 5 years, and up until a year ago, we have never had a television in the bedroom. Our thought was why do we need a TV in our bedroom when we have each other for entertainment? Failing that, we can read, talk, or go to sleep.

A year ago, we bought a large Victorian house and there were no natural spots for a TV downstairs. Besides, downstairs is for interacting with family and friends! So, we now have a large LCD TV hanging on our bedroom wall. It is a decision I came to regret very quickly. The quality and quantity of our 1 on 1 interactions whether it is intimate talking about our day, cuddling, or whatever else married people do is still great, but not the same. I fear the genie is outta the bottle in my case. Besides, Bear Grillis ain't going to watch himself navigate the amazon rainforest with just a canteen and toothpick!

What say you gentlemen? Does a TV belong in the bedroom?

Thanks,
J

 

[82R100]

From a sleep hygiene standpoint, no. There are things that are good to do in the time leading up to sleep, such as reading, glass of milk, listening to certain kinds of music. These are things that ease the transition.

For me TV doesn't make me sleepy at all. It leaves me keyed up.

Beyond that, TV in the bedroom is something that's cited as a contributing factor to insomnia. Psychologically, it's considered better to have the bedroom as the place for sleep; not the place where you watch TV.

I'm probably not a very tolerant person in this regard. We generally don't have a TV playing anywhere in the house after around 7:00 PM on a given evening. The silence is very nice.

- Chris

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

Never been married, but growing up I had a TV in my bedroom and almost never used it. Any time I wanted to watch TV, I'd go out and watch TV in the living room. The only reason I had one in my room was because there were four of us in the family and sometimes we disagreed about what to watch.

Our thought was why do we need a TV in our bedroom when we have each other for entertainment? Failing that, we can read, talk, or go to sleep.

Here's another point: If you want to watch TV, you can get up and go into the room where the TV is. If you're too lazy to walk from the TV room to the bedroom, you should not be watching television, anyway.

 

[luvmysuper]

No TV in the Bedroom.
Period.
The Bedroom is a sanctuary, and you need to recapture that ideal.
There is no sound logical reason that would justify a TV in the Bedroom.

 

[texquill]

Although we have a television in the bedroom, we only use it to watch the late night news as part of our end-of-day wind down routine. My Immediate Supervisor doesn't easily fall asleep (perhaps a guilty conscience? ), so the TV doesn't get much use other than the 30 minute newscast.

 

[Stubblefield]

From a sleep hygiene standpoint, no. There are things that are good to do in the time leading up to sleep, such as reading, glass of milk, listening to certain kinds of music. These are things that ease the transition.

For me TV doesn't make me sleepy at all. It leaves me keyed up.

Beyond that, TV in the bedroom is something that's cited as a contributing factor to insomnia. Psychologically, it's considered better to have the bedroom as the place for sleep; not the place where you watch TV.

I'm probably not a very tolerant person in this regard. We generally don't have a TV playing anywhere in the house after around 7:00 PM on a given evening. The silence is very nice.

- Chris

Correct on all counts. For further info read the book "Lights Out: Sugar, Sleep, Survival." Simply put, we need 8-9 hours of sleep in a darkened room for our bodies to produce the melatonin needed to counteract the cortisol that is a result of daily life.

 

[Wendy]

I too have been married 5 years as of next month. We have a television on our bedroom. We have just a few too many in the house considering I myself do not really watch tv. I occasionally watch CNN or a news channel, on one of our other never viewed televisions.

My husband can not keep his eyes open more than 14 seconds to watch tv in bed I really think ours is there just because we have every other room filled with a tv that is not used.

In my single days I used a tv for my alarm clock and my good night friend. Now being married and having children, no TV is necessary in the bedroom. Hopefully you can find other things to keep you busy. Winding down and talking about your day in a relaxed area of the house sounds good to me. My husband and I do not sleep at the same time of night so I am not a good one to answer this I guess. My hubby is not one for talking or communicating for that matter but I guess that is better left for another thread.

 

[Lynchmeister]

I grew up with a TV and VCR in my bedroom and both got constant use. I couldn't function without them there.

I've been together with my wife for 7 years now and lived with her for the past 6. In all that time, we've had TV in the bedroom for maybe a few months (several years ago in our old apartment). For as much as I'm a fan of television, I can't do one in the bedroom anymore now that I'm married. I can't put my finger on it, but it just seems...out of place.

 

[mdunn]

im all for it.

if youre going to watch a movie, you may as well do it together in bed.

 

[Obsessed]

From what I've read, it's very true that it's not good if you are having sleep issues. In my case, however, it can actually help. If my wife and I want to watch the beginning of Letterman, say, I can get ready for bed beforehand, and then just turn the TV off and go to sleep when we've seen what we want to see, rather than hanging out downstairs. For me, watching TV downstairs, without having to keep quiet so my wife, who likes to go to bed earlier than I do, can sleep, is a ticket to insomnia.

 

[bigstick]

but as a real estate agent, I know that probably half the homes in my city do have TVs in the bedroom, and a large number have TVs in EVERY bedroom.

 

[jdlewallen]

We have one, but it's rarely used. Maybe an occasional movie, or when someone just wants to watch something else (though this is less an issue since we got the DVR). Honestly, the most it ever gets used is when one of the kids wants to watch something different than the other or during football season while doing chores (both ends of the house with the game on! ).

And some of y'all are quite judgemental and rather harsh in your opinions!

 

[Saltysteele]

geesh, guys. if you're having trouble sleeping because you have a tv in the room, you've either got to 1) stop obsessing, or 2) turn it off when you sleep

when my wife and i watch tv in the bedroom, it is our together time. after our daughter goes to bed, we watch tv in the living room for an hour or so, in our separate chairs, surfing the internet, whatever. when we go in the bedroom, we watch tv together, talk, whatever.

it's not that big of deal, really. neither one of us has a problem going to sleep with the tv on, and if i don't have to be up the next day early, and i've slept the day prior due to working that night, i either watch tv in the bedroom, or send her to the bedroom by herself while i watch tv in the living room.

what's the difference if we watch the late news, or (used to) watch conan in the bedroom, or in the living room and then go to the bedroom?

 

[luvmysuper]

And some of y'all are quite judgemental and rather harsh in your opinions!

Not much point in believing something if you're not willing to strongly stand by it, eh?

 

[Duamuteffe]

Our stance has always been that TV has its place, and that place is any room other than the bedroom. There's far more interesting things to do there.

 

[rickboone1]

It's the best place for it. I think the living room is a bad place for it. I fought against having one in our living room. It's an eyesore. The living room is to be decorated and have a sitting area for guests to converse. Not to have something everyone has to talk over. I don't want company coming by to watch TV with me. They can watch TV at home. I want to visit. When it is turned off it is really quite ugly. So, the bedroom, a personal and private area guests won't visit, is a great place for a TV.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I haven't been married, but have cohabited. We didn't have a TV in the bedroom and didn't miss it. There was one downstairs, but she wasn't much of a TV watcher, either.

I do think it's good to have a stereo in the bedroom, though. Music at night was very nice and we were able to listen to the morning news.

 

[luvmysuper]

I haven't been married, but have cohabited. We didn't have a TV in the bedroom and didn't miss it. There was one downstairs, but she wasn't much of a TV watcher, either.

I do think it's good to have a stereo in the bedroom, though. Music at night was very nice and we were able to listen to the morning news.

+1
Audio is a good thing.

Now that I think of it, I probably wouldn't be too opposed to a TV in the bedroom, as long as it faced the wall!

 

[MedicBill]

For those who are married, living with your significant others or have done either in the past, I pose a question...

Should there be a television in the bedroom?

I have been with my wife for the past 5 years, and up until a year ago, we have never had a television in the bedroom. Our thought was why do we need a TV in our bedroom when we have each other for entertainment? Failing that, we can read, talk, or go to sleep.

A year ago, we bought a large Victorian house and there were no natural spots for a TV downstairs. Besides, downstairs is for interacting with family and friends! So, we now have a large LCD TV hanging on our bedroom wall. It is a decision I came to regret very quickly. The quality and quantity of our 1 on 1 interactions whether it is intimate talking about our day, cuddling, or whatever else married people do is still great, but not the same. I fear the genie is outta the bottle in my case. Besides, Bear Grillis ain't going to watch himself navigate the amazon rainforest with just a canteen and toothpick!

What say you gentlemen? Does a TV belong in the bedroom?

Thanks,
J

I have a flat panel television on the wall in my bedroom, and up until now, I always figured when I got married (someday...) I would have one on my bedroom wall then too.

After reading your post, I must say, I'm inclined to try the first few years of married life without one.

Thanks for your honesty and sharing.

Cheers.

 

[Duamuteffe]

I think the living room is a bad place for it. I fought against having one in our living room. It's an eyesore. The living room is to be decorated and have a sitting area for guests to converse. Not to have something everyone has to talk over. I don't want company coming by to watch TV with me. They can watch TV at home. I want to visit.

My grandparents have the space to have a room with the TV in it, and a different room with lots of comfy chairs for visiting. If visitors are staying over, they usually end up in the TV room at some point, but if they're only there for the afternoon, they entertain in the room without the TV. It's a pretty neat system; I hope someday to have enough space for a similar setup.