American Academy of Sleep Medicine Recommends ‘Healthy’ Binge-Watching

Laura Prepon, left, and Taylor Schilling in Orange Is The New Black Season 5


I’m often asked how I have time to keep up with everything on TV these days.

The simple answer is, I don’t.

I can’t. Nobody can.

Take Memorial Day weekend, for example. Netflix debuted the final season of “Bloodline” that Friday and the new season of “House of Cards” four days later. How’s a person supposed to get any sleep while staying ahead of spoilers?


A few months ago, I thought having a 50-inch TV at the foot of my bed was all a man could ever need. Now my sleep cycle has been obliterated to the point that I’m taking melatonin just to keep from being wide awake before 5:30 a.m., even on weekends.

There’s simply too much good TV.

Forget about all the quality shows on cable, Hulu and Amazon — as well as the handful of decent series on the broadcast networks — Netflix is cranking out seasons like they’re using the Everlasting Gobstopper machine from “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.”

I’ve started to question whether Netflix is doing this to keep us all fat and passive so the company can one day harvest us as food.

I’m not the only one concerned. (Well, I’m probably the only one concerned about the whole harvesting-us-as-food thing.)


Last week, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine issued recommendations for “healthy” binge-watching. Adults should sleep at least seven hours each night, according to the group. Binge-watchers who fail to do so will see their school or work performance suffer “as mood and cognitive abilities deteriorate.”

My cognitive abilities can’t afford any more deterioration, but a man’s gotta watch what a man’s gotta watch. So if Netflix doesn’t slow down, I’m going to have to start prying my eyes open, “A Clockwork Orange”-style.

Which reminds me, Netflix is releasing “Orange Is the New Black” on Friday.

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