When we first got married, Eric was very strict that we would not have a TV in our bedroom.
I had grown up with a TV in my room and I really enjoyed waking up on lazy weekend mornings and simply lying in bed with the TV on. Or watching TV before going to sleep.
However, I agreed to axing the TV from our room.
A few weeks after we got married, I realized that when we would wake up on the weekend, Eric would reach over to his phone and start browsing the internet. I wouldn’t even get a “good morning” or anything.
SO I decided that my rule would be “no phones in the bedroom.” We even got an alarm clock.
Fast forward four years, and somehow those pesky phones and iPads have taken over our sanctuary.
We’ll just lie in bed at night with Eric on his phone and me on my iPad and we won’t even utter a word.
This has been going on for a while and we finally mutually came to the agreement that it really needs to stop.
It’s not even like we’re doing important things, we’re just browsing the internet. Him reading news sites, me catching up on Kimye’s wedding.
I mean, I can feel my brain cells dying.
So this week, we started reading. Like actual books.
There is something completely different from staring at our screens rather than reading a book, even though I can’t quite place my finger on why I feel a difference, since we’re essentially doing the same thing.
Our phones still lie on the bedside table, because we still haven’t figured out the whole alarm clock situation.
But so far, I’m liking the no-electronic policy.
When we were in Cabo, I really enjoyed being internet-free. It was like my brain very learned how to relax, and not feel like I have to be virtually connected all the time.
Are you pro- or anti- electronics in the bedroom?
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17 comments
I’m SO naughty with my cell phone in bed… I really need to stop. No TV in the bedroom though, I held my ground on that one!
We don’t have a TV in our bedroom either, and I want to keep it that way. In fact, we have a spare TV that we could use, but I’m a firm believer that’s it’s no good for your love life. Electronics, though, guilty! We both like waking up slowly by scrolling mindlessly. Not the best habit.
My husband and I are pretty adamant on the no electronics in the bedroom thing. I’ll read on my kindle before bed, but I put it away when he comes to bed. But no tv or computers. We don’t have smart phones, so that’s not an issue.
I find that it’s great for us — some of our best lazy time is lying in bed on weekend mornings, just talking and cuddling. If we had a tv or computer, we’d plug right into that. But since it’s not there, we actually connect with each other instead.
Also, I read somewhere that couples with a tv in the bedroom are 40% less likely to get intimate over the course of a week than couples without so… there’s that too! =)
I need to be better about this! I’ve been trying to read in bed for awhile too. But that pesky phone is so distracting!
I have tried to remove the TV from our bedroom but my husband can’t fall asleep without it. I have removed my tablet and chromebook from the bedroom. Usually, I can fall asleep with the TV on. My husband typically watches boring documentaries which help put me to sleep as well. I’m trying to disconnect from electronics more because I was staying up way too late. Now that it is summer, I control my own schedule and I find I’m waking up later each morning. I’m trying to reign that in so fall is not such a huge adjustment.
When I was away on vacation (on a cruise), we were without internet. It was actually, AWESOME. My husband and I talked more and I felt more connected. I think I need to implement this policy in to MY household as well! You probably sleep better too…
This is a tough one. We have a TV in our bedroom, but it is only used for movies. So that’s not a problem. We both have a bad habit of being on our computers in bed, or on our phones. My phone is my alarm and my watch, so I need it nearby. But it does get in the way and I don’t want to be one of those couples who hangs out while on their respective phones.
I am anti electronics in bed. We have a TV but the only time I watch it is in the morning when I get ready. We never watch TV in bed. I feel like it screws with sleep patterns. There are no iphones or ipads in bed either. Or the room for that matter. I will stay up in bed and read a book like an old person but this is seriously where we talk the most. No distractions.
I used to have a TV in my bedroom, but I’m so glad I don’t anymore. I think I sleep better. Or at least attempt sleep sooner. Before, I could easily get pulled into something and end up staying awake far later than I should. I do have my phone in my bedroom though, since it serves as my alarm clock, but I have settings on it where there is no data between certain hours. I think that helps me get a more restful sleep.
I only had a TV in my bedroom for a few years growing up. For some reason, I’ve never really been a TV person, so watching it isn’t a huge deal to me. I have really noticed this effect, though. Just last week, my parents were visiting, and we were all using some form of technology, and sitting in silence. I have to admit, I do check my phone and sometimes use my laptop before bed, but most of the time we wind down in the living room, and then go into the bedroom. I do love reading a book at the same time, though. It is different!
T is very pro. This is the first place we’ve lived where we don’t have TV in our bedroom (sometimes at our old place we would drag our bedding into the lounge and ‘camp out’ there for this reason – we did have a telly in the bedroom but it was very small and old). He’s used to falling asleep to TV but after travelling last year I think we’ve weaned him off it.
I’ve gone back and forth with the tv thing because I’ve had insomnia, and the tv thing really helped me. The majority of time though I don’t use it. I do use my iPad to read occasionally, which to me feels OK. As long as whatever you’re doing doing is relaxing, but then again it’s just me (awe sad) so I can see things being kind of different if I slept in the same bed with someone.
SUCH a good idea! I get really overwhelmed during the day feeling like I have to check my email 50 million times, staring at a computer screen for 10 hours straight, etc. Often times I bring my laptop into bed to finish up work and Eric falls asleep by the time I’m done. Lately more, I’ve been so fed up with it! I think I’m going to take your lead and keep electronics out of the bedroom. We will see how it goes anyway. Guess I’m in the market for a real alarm clock now… 🙂
For us it’s no TV in the bedroom but phones and i pads are okay. Us being on phones or i pads before bed or in the morning doesn’t bother me. I do try to check myself so that I’m not spending too much time doing it. Web browsing feels like a wasted time suck and reading an actual book feels more productive so I can see how it “feels” different even though it’s essentially the same type of thing!!!
Now that you mention it, this is my husband and I as well. I read books on my phone and so does he. Recently he was reading a book but the little light he was using to read it was bothering me so he went back to reading on his phone. I don’t know if we could rid of electronics in the bedroom completely.
That’s how we do it! Cell phone/laptop chargers are in another room. No TV in the house. Very firm rule in our house!!
Ah, well. I guess I fail big time on that; my laptop resides full time in my bed, and my phone charger’s cable is quite tied to my secondary pillow. Then again, I am single… Back when I had a usable desk, I had no issue leaving my electronics there, but I guess the lack of one has made me improvise big time!