If you've ever pushed back your bedtime to watch just one more episode of Orange Is the New Black, or lay in bed wide-eyed after streaming three exhilarating hours of Game of Thrones, this new research probably won't surprise you. A new study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine is the first to link binge-watching with poorer sleep quality, more fatigue, and increased insomnia. Not only does on-demand TV tempt us to keep watching episode after episode, say the study's authors , but the shows are also designed to draw us in, boost suspense, and emotionally invest in plotlines and characters. This can lead to excitement and increased arousal, the research shows, which can translate into "increased cognitive alertness" and consequently an inability to get the shuteye you need. Interestingly, no relationship was found between sleep problems and regular television watching, during which viewers typically switch from one program to another. Co-author Jan Van den Bulck, PhD, professor of communication studies at the University of Michigan, says his study does not prove that binge-watching directly affects sleep quality, but it provides good evidence that the two are linked. There are several ways in which streaming shows might keep us from scoring slumber, he adds. The study involved 423 young adults, ages 18 to 25, who completed online surveys about how often they watched television, both conventional TV and streaming services. They were also asked how frequently they " binge-watched" shows, defined as watching multiple consecutive episodes of the same show in one sitting, on any type of screen. They also answered questions about their sleep quality and how tired (or alert) they felt throughout the day. More than 80% of the participants identified themselves as binge watchers, with 20% of that group binge-watching at least a few times a week in the previous month. A little more than half of binge-watchers said they tended to view three to four episodes in one sitting, and the average binge session was just over 3 hours. Men binged less frequently than women, but their viewing sessions were nearly twice as long on average.