Having moved last week we realized just how bright it was in the bedroom and put up curtains throughout. Turning out the bedroom lights to turn in turned out not to really turn out the lights at all (say that ten times fast). Find out why couldn't we turn out the lights!
The culprit - sixteen, count 'em sixteen lights still on, emanating from various electronics and sources.
2 - computer power button and screen (at least until the power mode kicks in)
1 - computer power button
2 - mouse light and laser
2 - two laptops power button/light
2 - DVR time and power button
1 - TV power button
3 - air purifier options and power buttons
1 - alarm clock time
1 - Sony Dash screen
1 - Logitech Harmony remote charging screen
While a piece of black electrical tape over all but the screens and clocks might be a ghetto solution, we realize perhaps there is too much tech in our bedroom. Sixteen lights keeping the bedroom glowing at night might need some addressing to reduce the tech clutter in our lives, particularly in the bedroom. What do you think? When you turn off your lights to go to bed, how many lights are still on in your bedroom? Count 'em up and let us know!
Unplggd discusses gadgets and sleep
- Do Your Gadgets Keep You From Sleep in Total Darkness?
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- Can't Sleep? Blame Your Gadgets!
- Why We Can't Sleep At Night Or Wake Up In The Morning
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I recently had some serious sleep issues and one night I pulled out the extension cord (TV, Blu-Ray, amplifier, bass, Boxee Box), so actually there was only my MacBook Pros LED pulsing, which I also covered and I slept great. Now I have an extension cord with a switch.
We had to put a piece of paper over the air conditioner LED screen during the summer. Other than that, it's the clock on my husband's side of the bed. I plug in my phone and start up one of those clock apps in case I wake up in the middle of the night and need to know what time it is, but I keep it face-down on the bedside table so it doesn't light up the room.
We keep most of that stuff in the living room, so not really a problem in the bedroom.
We did run into one surprising electronic annoyance - the car charger for our phones. The "on" LED light is unbelievably bright (I swear you could read a book by it) and I'm amazed someone didn't realize this was a bad idea to have a super bright LED for car use, when you generally don't want distracting bright lights in the vehicle.
We fixed that little problem with, yes, black electric tape.
Only the numbers on my alarm clock, and I usually prop a book in front of that. Can't stand lights in the bedroom!
We have a fan that has six buttons lit with LEDs that are so bright, we called it an alien invasion! A little bit of black electrical tape hid the lights, but still lets us hit the buttons, and we can sleep without feeling like we're in Fire in the Sky!
Do you really need that much tech in your BEDROOM?
The only light in mine is the alarm clock
@puck73 -- I live in 1 room; so kinda, yes.
But I also use a switch enabled powerbar so no issues there.
Oh and i ditched the led alarm clock for my cell phone (which is face down, as another reader noted).
None - unless my laptop is in my bedroom, and then it's slid under the bed where I can't see the light. If my camera battery is charging, it's in my bathroom so the light doesn't bother me. I can't sleep with all those little blue lights!
I wonder why manufacturer's decided they needed to be so bright and plentiful.
Maybe have a timer that shuts it off after a while and comes back on when it senses motion near it? Guess it'd be expensive then (thinking like an Apple product)
The only light in my bedroom (and the only electric appliance) is my JBL Ipod dock/radio/alarm clock. It has adjustable brightness, but it doesn't go down low enough, so I sleep with it pointed away from me. The lowest volume is also too high. I'm planning on surgery to attack both issues. :)
There are flipping lights on everything! Laptop has a light, the laptop cord where it attaches to the computer has a light, the power brick has a light, the wii, sometimes the remote for the wii, the phone, the phone charger, the cable box (worst offender), the fan, the surge protector, the radio. Dammit, I don't need all those lights!!!! I try my hardest to keep things off; but I have resorted to electrical tape for many things :-(
I just put on a sleeping mask. Looks ridiculus but helps. Not only against tech lights but also the evil morning sun penetrating through my drapes.
Sounds like too much tech in the bedroom. Keep it simple - you'll fall asleep faster and sleep better if you're not doing your work / watching tv etc in there as well.
We live on a bright loud street, so the lights don't bother me anymore, but the only in-room light we have is our 10 yr old radio shack alarm clock.
The only light I have is from the smoke detector. I used to have all kinds of tech on a desk in my bedroom, now the only thing I have in there is the bed and a fan. I use my phone in airplance mode as an alarm clock, but it only comes on when the alarm is going off and I'm getting up anyway.
In addition to too many lights on stuff, why do so many things have a clock. Cable box, microwave, oven, thermostat, etc all using power and emitting light just to display the time.
@kts911 - yeah! why does my DVR need to show the time? and the oven? and the microwave?w