People who need the TV on to fall asleep at night usually display these 8 behaviors, according to psychology

Have you ever noticed how some people absolutely need the TV on to drift off at night? Maybe you’re one of them.

I’ve seen this pattern a lot in my counseling practice, and it always fascinates me. Sleep is supposed to be when our brains shut down stimulation, yet some of us rely on flickering lights and background chatter to relax.

Psychology offers some interesting explanations—and even more interestingly, the habit often ties to specific behaviors and personality traits.

Let’s explore what those are.

1. They struggle with silence

For many, silence is anything but peaceful. It can feel loud, uncomfortable, even threatening. Without the distraction of sound, the mind starts racing with thoughts, worries, or “what-ifs.”

In fact, a study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that many people find “just thinking” in silence so aversive that some would rather engage in even unpleasant activities than sit quietly with their own thoughts.

I once worked with a client who told me, “The moment I turn everything off, I start replaying conversations from ten years ago.” The TV gave her something else to latch onto, keeping those memories from flooding in all at once.

As Maya Angelou once said, “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” In this case, the TV helps people not be reduced by their own restless minds.

2. They crave background connection

Have you ever fallen asleep to a sitcom rerun and felt strangely comforted? That’s no accident. For some, TV provides a steady hum of “company,” filling the void of loneliness or separation.

It’s not that these people don’t have meaningful relationships—it’s that in quiet, the absence of connection feels amplified. Hearing familiar voices can soothe that discomfort.

This often shows up in clients who live alone or are going through transitions, like divorce or a move to a new city. The television becomes a stand-in companion.

Michelle Obama once noted, “Friendship is a steady, reliable presence.” For those without that presence in the room, the TV creates a temporary illusion of companionship.

3. They tend to avoid emotional processing

This might sting a little. But people who rely on TV noise at night often use it as a way to avoid sitting with their feelings.

Quiet time before bed is usually when emotions rise to the surface. Regret. Sadness. Anxiety about the future. Instead of facing those head-on, the background chatter of TV helps push them aside.

One woman I counseled admitted, “If I don’t have the TV on, I cry myself to sleep.” The noise gave her a buffer, a way to sidestep emotions that felt too heavy to face.

Tony Robbins once said, “The quality of your life is the quality of your emotions.” The truth is, numbing with distraction can buy you short-term comfort, but it can also delay long-term growth.

4. They’re more prone to anxious attachment

This is one I’ve seen repeatedly in my work with relationships. Those who grew up feeling uncertain about love or stability often carry an anxious attachment style into adulthood.

When left alone at night, that old fear of abandonment can creep back in. The TV’s presence feels like reassurance—you’re not really alone, even if you’re the only one in the room.

I wrote about this in my book Breaking The Attachment: How To Overcome Codependency in Your Relationship. Codependency and anxious attachment don’t have to define you, but recognizing patterns like this is the first step in reshaping them.

And this isn’t just theory. Research in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology shows that adults with anxious attachment exhibit hyper-activating strategies—like proximity-seeking behaviors—to reduce anxiety and feel safer in relation to others.

5. They are easily overstimulated

Here’s a paradox: many people who need the TV on to sleep are also highly sensitive to overstimulation during the day. Crowded spaces, loud environments, or multitasking can feel overwhelming.

So why does TV help at night? The key is predictability. A show you’ve seen a hundred times doesn’t demand anything of you. It’s safe stimulation—just enough to drown out the chaos in your head without tipping you into full alertness.

Susan Cain, author of Quiet, notes: “Everyone shines, given the right lighting.” For some, the glow of a predictable TV show is the lighting that allows their nervous system to finally relax.

One of my friends—an introvert who works in a busy corporate office—once told me, “I can’t stand loud parties, but I can fall asleep to The Office every night. I already know the lines, so it doesn’t drain me.” That’s exactly how predictable stimulation works.

6. They rely on routines for security

People who fall asleep with the TV on often develop a strong routine around it. Same show. Same channel. Same timing. It’s not just about entertainment—it’s about ritual.

Psychology research consistently shows that routines reduce stress by offering predictability and a sense of control in an unpredictable world. Having that nightly TV ritual becomes a psychological anchor.

I remember one client who had watched the same season of Friends on loop for years. She admitted, “I don’t even hear the jokes anymore. It just signals my body: it’s time to rest.”

Steven Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, once wrote: “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” For people who struggle with winding down, making TV part of the bedtime schedule becomes a priority because it works.

7. They may struggle with self-soothing

Looking back, this one probably deserved a higher spot on the list. Anyway…

When babies cry, they rely on caregivers to soothe them. As adults, we’re supposed to develop our own methods—deep breathing, journaling, mindfulness. But not everyone does.

For those who never built self-soothing skills, TV becomes the substitute. The background noise acts like a pacifier, calming the nervous system when stress lingers.

Daniel Goleman, the psychologist who popularized emotional intelligence, has written: “The ability to soothe oneself is a cornerstone of emotional intelligence.” Without that ability, people often turn to external crutches, like TV.

And the truth is, self-soothing doesn’t always come naturally. It’s a skill you can learn, but until then, the TV can feel like training wheels for your nervous system.

8. They are creative or imaginative thinkers

Finally, here’s the surprising one. Research suggests that people who fall asleep with TV often have more active imaginations. Their minds are buzzing with ideas, storylines, and possibilities—so much so that turning off stimulation doesn’t quiet things down, it actually makes the thoughts louder.

In fact, scientists have identified a creative “sweet spot” just as people drift off to sleep—known as the sleep-onset phase—where the mind makes wide-ranging connections and offers heightened creative insight.

The TV becomes a funnel, guiding that energy in a predictable direction until sleep takes over.

One of my colleagues, a fellow counselor, shared that she falls asleep to documentaries every night. “If I don’t,” she explained, “I’ll stay awake imagining a hundred scenarios or rewriting conversations. The TV gives me something safe to latch onto.”

Steve Jobs once said, “Creativity is just connecting things.” For some, having a story or dialogue playing in the background helps link the day’s loose ends into something that feels safe enough to rest on.

Final thoughts

If you’ve recognized yourself in a few of these behaviors, you’re not alone. Millions of people rely on TV to fall asleep, and psychology shows us it’s rarely just about entertainment—it’s about comfort, distraction, and emotional regulation.

But here’s the thing: while the habit isn’t inherently bad, it can mask deeper needs. Maybe it’s loneliness, maybe it’s anxiety, maybe it’s a craving for routine or creative stimulation.

The good news? Once you know why you do it, you can choose whether you want to keep it, tweak it, or replace it with healthier strategies like meditation, white noise, or journaling.

At the end of the day, sleep is precious. Understanding what drives your bedtime habits is the first step toward making them work for you, not against you.