Does watching a scary movie disrupt sleep? Many people love a horror film but if it is at the expense of a good night’s sleep…is it worth it?
Dr Lindsay Browning answers some frequently asked questions about scary movies, sleep and sleep disruption.
Frequently asked questions about scary movies and sleep
What is it that stops people from sleeping after watching a horror film?
Firstly, let’s accept that everyone is different. Watching a scare film doesn’t mean you definitely won’t sleep. Some people can watch a scary movie and then go straight to sleep, whilst others might find it hard to relax enough afterwards, to fall asleep any time soon.
When we are scared, our body produces adrenaline and cortisol (our stress hormones). These are designed to help us deal with any perceived danger. Sometimes our brains are unable to tell the difference between a real danger and that in a movie. Adrenaline and cortisol can make our heart beat faster and increases our blood pressure. Plus, our breathing can become faster and shallower – all of which are intended to help us physically fight a problem, or run away from danger. This is commonly known as our fight or flight response.
As we sleep better when we are physically calm and relaxed, an increased heart rate and faster breathing can make it harder to fall asleep.
Can scary movies cause nightmares?
If someone is psychologically very scared from the movie, they may have a nightmare about the content they just watched or something else that is worrying them. If the movie has included a difficult or scary situation, we may dream about this as part of the ‘problem-solving role’ of dreams.
Following the nightmare, we may wake up with a heart racing or crying as the bad dream was so scary. It can be hard to fall back to sleep again quickly after a nightmare because you’re physically very aroused and also you may be worried about falling back into the same scary dream if you go straight back to sleep again.
In addition, as a general rule, we should avoid bright light exposure before bed (such as from screens), because that can disrupt our melatonin production. However, exactly how soon you go to bed you after watching a scary film without it affecting your sleep will very much depend on your individual personality.
Is there a “best” time to watch a scary film?
As mentioned, some people can watch something scary and go straight to sleep afterwards, whereas others might find they need some time to calm down and relax after watching a scary film. If you know you are the latter, then allow for this extra time between the end of the film and your usual bed time.
Are there any tips for calming ourselves down after so we can go back to sleep faster?
If you’re worried that watching a scary film might disrupt your sleep, because you might find it hard to calm down afterwards, then you might want to watch some of the film outtakes/bloopers afterwards to help de-mystify the scary aspects of the film. For example, it’s harder to stay scared at Lord Voldemort, for example, when you see him fluffing his lines and telling a silly joke with his fellow actors! This is great to use with kids if they have watched a film they feel unsettled by. Reminding them it is just ‘make believe’.
You can also consider elements of a good bedtime routine, which feels comforting and natural to you, such as reading a good (positive!) book or even taking a warm bath.
Scary movies and getting to sleep
As you have seen above, we can not categorically say that watching a scary film will disrupt your sleep. Everyone is different and it depends on many factors.
Importantly, you need to consider what effect the scary movie may or may not have on your sleep and adjust your routines as you feel necessary.