Top TV Shows to Avoid Before Bed
I’m gonna start this rundown with a short public service health announcement: You should avoid all tv shows before bed. In fact you should avoid all screens before bed. Screens and sleep are poor bedfellows.
With that out of the way, I will agree that watching a few episodes in the evening is a great way to unwind after hard day. As long as you are sensible and leave yourself a good hour of wind-down time between switching off the screen and laying your head on the pillow you should be ok.
That is unless you foolishly decide to go and watch something genuinely scary, then an hour is simply not going to cut it! I would not consider myself a scaredy cat but there are definitely some shows I refuse to watch once the sun has set. Below are my top three must avoids! Even hearing the theme music to these shows is enough to trouble my slumber.
Stranger Things
Turns out the 1980s are trendy. For any of you who remember the 1980s this might come as something of a surprise! A the heart of the eighties revival is a little show you may have heard about, that’s Stranger Things.
Stranger Things is a genuine cultural phenomenon and one of Netflix’s most critically acclaimed shows of all time. Written, produced and directed by the talented Duffer Brothers, the show is set in the fictional town of Hawkins. Each episode follows the adventures of a band of lovable nerds as they take on the combined threat of smalltown bullies, impending puberty and one other thing…what is it? Oh yeah – a terrifying Demogorgon, which is stalking them from its lair, in an alternate dimension known as “the Upside Down”.
The show is a mix of familiar references. The Duffers take a pinch of Steven Spielberg and mix it in with a dash of Stephen King and soupcon of John Carpenter. The combination is equal parts addictive and heart-pounding scary. Definitely one to watch, but not before bed if you want to sleep tonight!
The X-Files
Much imitated but never bettered, in my opinion The X-Files is the original and the best. The 90s sci-fi smash was one of the first shows to build in multi-season narrative arcs, the like of which is commonplace in today’s tv landscape. The 90s hair and clothes (Gillian those shoulder pads!) might the give the show a bit of a date look but believe me if you can look past the superficial the series remains genuinely terrifying.
From the moment the iconic theme music begins you know you are in for an eerie time.
While the show was known for its winding multiple season storylines, it’s the one-off so-called ‘monster of the week’ episodes remain some of the most spine-chilling bits of tv available. While many of the creatures turned out to be simply misunderstood, it didn’t stop them all from being genuinely hide-behind-the-sofa creepy.
From episodes involving murderous identical twins, to the lizard-like ‘flukeman’ who lurks in sewers, to an episode about a killer doll penned by the master-of-horror Stephen King himself, the show ticked all the horror boxes. Watching any of these would definitely have you lying awake for hours wondering if you will ever sleep again.
Uttering the name Eugene Victor Tooms to any fan will send an instant shiver down their spine.
One particularly terrifying episode called ‘Home’ which involved a family of let’s just say ‘overly loving’ hillbillies from season four was so scary and controversial that the show’s network Fox actually refused to reply it again until 3 years after its original screening.
Doctor Who
Doctor Who! Isn’t that a kids show about flying police box that travels in time? Well, yes and no. If you don’t know what a police box, don’t worry. It’s a particularly weird British thing from the 1960s. But ignore all that. Despite it’s silly premise this show can be genuinely terrifying and will give you nightmares if you watch it before bed.
Doctor Who is a British cult classic gone global, running from 1963 until now (albeit with a 15 year hiatus in between 1989-2005) the show has titillated and terrified multiple generations of children.
Like The X-Files the show combines season-long storylines with one-off monster of the week-style episodes and again it is these one-off episodes that often turn out to be the most scary and hazardous for your sleep.
One episode in particular from the third season (of the reincarnated version of the show) titled “Blink” terrified children and adults alike. The episode saw the Doctor and his sidekick Martha take on an adversary known simply as the Weeping Angels. Without giving away too many spoilers let me just say this – you will never be able to walk past a statue in the same way again. In fact you will probably run.
Other episodes to search out but definitely avoid before bedtime include Midnight, Silence in the Library, The Empty Child and Listen.
Well there you have it three shows I can’t recommend enough but suggest you avoid like the plague before bedtime if you ever want to sleep again. You have been warned!
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