If you can't sleep in complete silence and need the TV playing, psychology says you probably have these 8 distinct traits - Silicon Canals

"Ever since I was a kid, I've needed some kind of background noise to fall asleep. Complete silence? That's when my brain decides to replay every awkward conversation from 2008 or draft tomorrow's to-do list in excruciating detail. These days, it's usually a familiar sitcom playing softly on my laptop, the voices creating just enough distraction to quiet the mental chatter."

"1) You're likely more anxious than average This one hits close to home. My anxiety ramped up in my early twenties, though I didn't connect the dots between my racing thoughts and my desperate need for background TV until much later. According to research published in the Journal of Sleep Research, people with anxiety disorders often use external stimuli like television to redirect their attention away from anxious thoughts."

Many people rely on low-level background noise to fall asleep because silence amplifies intrusive thoughts and rumination. Familiar television or predictable audio provides a cognitive distraction by occupying attention and reducing the tendency to spiral into worry. Individuals who prefer sleep soundtracks frequently display higher anxiety and highly active minds, perceiving small nocturnal sounds as threats when alone in silence. Predictable dialogue and storylines redirect attention away from anxious thoughts and lower nocturnal vigilance by offering low-effort stimuli. Research links anxiety disorders with the use of external stimuli, and eight recurring psychological traits appear among those who depend on background noise for sleep.

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