As electronics proliferate in our homes, the number of devices with blinking or always-on lights has increased.  This has created a situation where bedrooms aren’t nearly as dark as they were in earlier eras.  When I first moved into my apartment, I had to begin placing an envelope on the cable company-supplied router, because there’s a big glowing blue set of lights on the top of it that made my room much brighter.

A bit of the science was shared in a recent io9 post. Light can disrupt how our bodies utilize our sleeping time, and can therefore create health issues over time.  It certainly makes the case for why it’s probably better to make sure the blinds are closed tight, the lights are off, and the TV disabled.

While I personally sometimes need a bit of background noise while falling asleep, I’ve increasingly been doing so with the screen off (since I use my computer for it), which I’ve noticed has helped me a bit.  I can also set the computer to turn it off after a certain amount of time, so quiet accompanies the darkness.