Don’t Be Rude! How to Watch TV in Bed Without Being Disruptive

Between work, caring for your family and taking care of a home, you might have little time for TV during the day. So what if your favorite nightly routine includes curling up in the bed with the remote before you shut your eyes! Relax any way you can and enjoy those few minutes before you drift off.

But – wait a second. If you’re a night owl and your partner is an early bird, watching TV in bed can create problems. The good news is you don’t have to leave the room to enjoy a little TV time!

Want to keep late night TV on without disrupting your significant other? No worries! We’ve got a few strategies you can use to keep the tube on without bothering your partner.

1. Dim the TV brightness.

Maybe it’s not the sound of the TV that disturbs your partner, but the brightness coming from the TV screen.

Even with their eyes closed, they might detect light, which can make it harder for them to sleep. To strike a compromise, agree to dim the brightness on the television set. This can reduce the light just enough for your partner to sleep. Also, you can ask your partner to meet you halfway. You’ll dim the brightness a bit, but they can try sleeping with a face mask to block out any remaining brightness.

2. Watch TV from your tablet.

This is especially useful if you’re watching Netflix or Hulu, or if your cable company allows you to download their app for watching live TV and it’s a win-win for everyone involved. You can watch your favorite programs before going to sleep and your partner doesn’t have to see the brightness or hear the sound of the TV. Attach your headphones and it’ll be as if you’re not even watching television. Just keep the laughing to a minimum!

3. Get wireless headphones.

If you’re watching the television and your partner doesn’t want to hear any sound, purchase a set of wireless headphones. You can pair the headphones with your TV and listen to your programs from across the room. Once you are ready to go to sleep, simply turn off the television and put your headphones on the nightstand.

Keep in mind that for this to work, you’ll need to have a smart TV that allows a Bluetooth wireless connection.

4. Set the sleep timer.

If you’re planing on watching television in bed before going to sleep, don’t forget to set the sleep timer! This is perfect for those who fall asleep in the middle of a program and leave the television on throughout the night. If your partner wakes up only to catch you snoozing while the TV blares, you’ll be glad to have this trick in your pocket.

Set your sleep timer for 30 to 60 minutes, so that the TV turns off on its own if you fall asleep.

5. Turn on the TV before your partner falls asleep.

If you enjoy watching TV in bed at night, it might be easier for your partner to fall asleep with the TV on. Basically, avoid turning it on after your SO is already asleep. In a quiet room, the sudden sound and brightness of a television turning on could disturb their sleep, even if only for a couple of minutes.

Watching TV at night in bed might be the only downtime you have each day. But don’t be rude! Think about the person you share a home (and a bedroom) with and work to keep disruptions to a minimum. A loud television can cause problems if your loved ones has to get up early in the mornings, or if they can’t sleep with sound or light in the background. You don’t have to give up your night time routine, but you should be considerate and take steps to ensure your routine doesn’t affect the quality of their sleep.