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Do You Play Games Before Bed?

Scientists say that playing games before bed can be bad for your sleep habits. What are your pre-bedtime rituals?

According to Gamepolitics, a new study by the Sleep Laboratory at Flinders University found that "long periods of game playing before bed time caused significant sleep disruptions in a group of teenage boys." The researchers also reported that people who play 150 minutes of games before bed took 39-minutes on average to fall asleep and had around 27-minutes of sleep loss throughout the night.

Damn it!

Personally, I used to play games before bed all of the time without any seeming adverse effects. But the older I get the more I want to read before bed. I think it does help me sleep. Does anyone know if there is a cream or gel or something that would help me game before bed? What are your gaming habits before bed? Do you think playing games effects your sleep cycle?

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Comments
  • Not lately. I usually watch Netflix before bed (Chapelle's Show. Too good!), then I get tired, and I fall asleep to Jontron on my Vita ;) genious
  • I don't play games in bed, as shown in the article's pic. I try to cut off my gaming an hour before I want to be asleep.

    In that hour I get the house secured, prep a little for the next day, get ready for bed (brush teeth, floss, etc), and then I read for 10-20 mins. There's nothing like reading to make me sleepy.
  • I see to have trouble falling asleep no matter what soo....
  • Well, I've had insomnia my whole life, so it's sort of a non issue for me.
  • for some reason I don't really like to play video games by myself at night, I only enjoy multiplayer
  • Yes I do, and yes it's bad for my sleep.
  • Well, every weekend I play games and the only side effect is I am tired on Mondays.
  • In the past no. But I have these last few nights, and its taken me a good hour plus of lying in bed to fall asleep.

  • I usually spend to much time on games before bed... but yes I always play games before I go to bed...even if that bedtime is 4 AM...
  • Well, I'm not a teenage boy, and I usually don't go to bed until about 7 or 8 in the morning as I get home from my 3rd shift job. I either catch up on some game time or watch some Netflix, or watch whatever is on our DVR if my girlfriend is awake.
  • To be honest I always stop an hour before bed. That hour is used for listening to music or reading a book. I know if I play a game right before the bed I won't stop thinking about the game and then I can't sleep.

  • Eeeeeeyup, it sometimes takes me an hour or so to fall asleep.

  • I'm a nighthawk so it doesn't really matter that much to me. I try to spend my evening surfing teh interwebz on my computer so I usually play a few games of solitaire to calm my nerves.
  • I don't usually like to game before bed, but it's really the only time that I can. I'm only a full time college student with a part time job, so I can only imagine my schedule as I get older. If before bed is the only time that I can game, then so be it! I'll game before bed!

  • Often times, right before bed is the only time I have to play. Even on the days when I play a lot, it's typically the last thing I do before sleeping. I think I sleep better doing it then not doing it, which probably isn't a good sign... but whatever.

  • I brush my teeth. Usually I end up doing something else though, like reading or watching a show. I'm just too wound up to go to sleep, I think.
  • i do what ever before i go to sleep or just fall asleep to supernatural since its lame as hell now

  • Step 1-Play video games Step 2-Read something Step 3-Get board of reading and go back to games Step 4-Watch a video Step 5-Fall asleep to said video
  • Sometimes I play until I start falling asleep with the controller in my hands. I remember playing Assassin's Creed II one night, I started fee running from one end of the city, nodded off, then I was already at the other end and still running when I woke up.

  • Depends on how absorbed I am in the game and if its a handheld or not. Its not uncommon for me to stay up 3 hours later then I expected playing Pokemon, but I'm never playing something like Gears of War right before I sleep. But I may play an RPG or TBS late into the night(We've all been there).
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