A Sweet Trap for a Tired Brain: Why We Choose TV Shows and Shopping Instead of Sleep After a hard day, it looks like: Now I'm going to collapse into bed and fall asleep. But, when we got to bed, for some reason we find ourselves with the phone in our hands - and now it's already three in the morning. Why is this happening? "After a busy day, it is more difficult for us to engage in activities that require effort, planning and self-control. But activities that provide quick pleasure without much effort become especially attractive. If a person fulfills duties all day and obeys a schedule, in the evening he wants to feel that at least a little time belongs exclusively to him," says medical psychologist Ksenia Garsimova. How the trap works: TV series, games and shopping activate the brain's reward system, in which dopamine plays a central role. What catches you the most is the lack of predictability - what will happen in the next chapter, what bonus will appear in the game. Night shopping is also complicated in this context. Against the background of lack of sleep, it is more difficult to assess risks, and the purchase becomes a way of emotional compensation. We find that a few episodes or a game helps relieve stress. Subjectively this is true, but for the brain, switching attention is not equivalent to real recovery. Have you ever fallen into the "sweet trap" of TV series and late night shopping? - Yes! - No, I fall asleep on time.

A Sweet Trap for a Tired Brain: Why We Choose TV Shows and Shopping Instead of Sleep After a hard day, it looks like: Now I'm going to collapse into bed and fall asleep. But, when we got to bed, for some reason we find ourselves with the phone in our hands - and now it's already three in the morning. Why is this happening? "After a busy day, it is more difficult for us to engage in activities that require effort, planning and self-control. But activities that provide quick pleasure without much effort become especially attractive. If a person fulfills duties all day and obeys a schedule, in the evening he wants to feel that at least a little time belongs exclusively to him," says medical psychologist Ksenia Garsimova. How the trap works: TV series, games and shopping activate the brain's reward system, in which dopamine plays a central role. What catches you the most is the lack of predictability - what will happen in the next chapter, what bonus will appear in the game. Night shopping is also complicated in this context. Against the background of lack of sleep, it is more difficult to assess risks, and the purchase becomes a way of emotional compensation. We find that a few episodes or a game helps relieve stress. Subjectively this is true, but for the brain, switching attention is not equivalent to real recovery. Have you ever fallen into the "sweet trap" of TV series and late night shopping? - Yes! - No, I fall asleep on time.