Sleep and marriage experts generally think that having a television in your bedroom is a bad idea. They say it leads to less sex and poor sleep. Yet, many couples do have a TV in their bedroom. Here are a few things you can do to lessen the possible negative impact of a television in your bedroom.

Reasons Couples Have a TV in The Bedroom

• The white noise of a television helps them fall asleep.
• One of them is ill.

• They have different choices in what they want to watch and having two televisions lessens conflict.
• Television is relaxing, educational, entertaining, and helps them tune out at the end of the day.
• They like beginning their day with television news.
• A TV in the bedroom gives them a place to escape from the kids.

How to Have a TV in the Bedroom and Serenity in Your Marriage

Even with a television in the room, your bedroom can be an uncluttered, calm sanctuary where you can wind down and get a restful night's sleep and not hamper your intimacy with one another.

• The decision to have a TV in the bedroom needs to be a mutual one.
• Agree to keep the volume low on the television or wear headphones if the noise distracts your spouse.
• Don't watch violent or scary movies before trying to go to sleep.
• Place the television in an armoire style of cabinet so you can close the doors to hide the TV when you are not viewing it.
• If space allows have comfy chairs for viewing television in your bedroom.
• Set a timer so the TV is automatically turned off in an hour or two hours.

• Consider purchasing a fireplace DVD (Compare Prices) for romantic evenings.
• Make sure the television doesn't interfere with conversations between the two of you.

Pros to Having a TV in the Bedroom:

"TV may very well be a relationship enhancer. Couples have bonded over favorite shows they watch together, every night or every week -- no matter what! It’s a chance to snuggle up in bed and make a pact to have alone time: The phone doesn’t get answered and the emails pile up on the computer in the next room. Couples look forward to their show and the flirtatious banter coupled with interesting conversation it elicits afterwards. The bottom line is that TV in the bedroom is a personal choice, but try to be honest with yourself. If your bedroom TV functions purely as a source of entertainment for you, keep on flipping. However, if television is helping you to avoid any of the issues in your life, then you need to shut down immediately."
Source: Debbie Magids, Ph.D. "Keeping a TV in the Bedroom: Bad Idea? Msn.com.
"The answer is that having a TV in your bedroom will only affect your intimacy if you let it. On the whole, I think a wise couple will make their bedroom a comfortable and sensual “love zone" that reflects their relationship. It should be cozy and welcoming. It should be functional but also look good. I say a wise couple will do this because other rooms in the house can contain distractions -- your personal computers, TVs, games consoles, and so on. But a place to retreat together where you can spend some quality time with one another will promote intimacy. However, consider your husband's side of the argument. If you both agree on making the bedroom a comfortable love zone for your grown-up needs, then with this in mind, he could have a television in a cabinet that he can use on occasion – this is a reasonable compromise."
Source: Dr. Pam. "TV in the bedroom?" TheNest.com. 10/25/2007.

Cons to Having a TV in the Bedroom:

"The experts agree you should only be doing two things in your bedroom: sleeping and having sex. Bills, kids, computers, TVs ... they're all kryptonite for healthy sleep and definitely for your sex life."
Source: "One Way to Spice Up Your Marriage." ParentsConnect.com.
"... they warn that hours in front of the telly, whether in the bedroom or elsewhere, can leave men and women too tired, jaded and bored to have sex at all."
Source: "TV's a bedroom turn-off." ManchesterEveningNews.co.uk. 1/17/2006.

"Let go of the TV, computer or exercise equipment in your bedroom. The good feng shui energy in your bedroom is destroyed when these items are present in your bedroom."
Source: Rodika Tchi. "Feng Shui Bedroom Tips." FengShui.D106.

"Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex. It is best to take work materials, computers and televisions out of the sleeping environment."
Source: "Ten Tips for Better Sleep." BetterSleep.org.

"Avoid watching TV, eating, and discussing emotional issues in bed. The bed should be used for sleep and sex only. If not, we can associate the bed with other activities and it often becomes difficult to fall asleep."
Source: "How to Sleep Better." WebMD.com.

"So bedtime is not just about sleep. It is about renewing and maintaining the couple relationship. It can be the one time when partners learn what has been going on with one another, plan, make decisions, deal with disagreements, solve problems, provide necessary information, and put words to their realities. Bedtime contact seemed crucial to maintaining the relationship of many couples I interviewed ... Sleeping takes up a quarter to a third of most lives."
Source: Paul C. Rosenblatt. Two in a Bed: The Social System of Couple Bed Sharing. pgs. 9-10.
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