If you're anything like me, you need complete darkness and silence to sleep, blocking light and noise with eye masks and ear plugs. I couldn't think of anything worse than falling asleep in front of a TV emitting sounds and bright moving pictures.So, imagine my surprise when I checked the results of our recent Tom's Guide poll that asked the question: "Do you fall asleep in front of the TV?". 59% of over 700 respondents admitted to dozing off with the TV on, with a third sharing that they do it most nights.I asked two psychologists to explain the reasons behind this common TV habit. And I also called on a board-certified medical doctor to share how sleeping with the TV on can affect your sleep quality — and the simple methods to try instead if you need background noise to fall asleep (or sleep through the night).Falling in front of the TV: Why do so many of us do it? Before I delve into the psychology behind sleeping with the TV on, I decided to get some first-person perspectives from those who habitually fall asleep in front of the TV.So, is it a habit that occurs by accident when they're trying to watch a TV show, or is bedtime TV an intentional sleep aid?Turns out, it's both."I have actually made this habit that I need to hear something to get sleepy," says travel blogger Jatin Chhabra, who says it took him hours to fall asleep after recently switching to an earlier bedtime.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips."So, for 2 hours, I watch TV, or sometimes just hear it," he explains. "Some content is helpful, but interesting and funny stuff never makes me sleepy."Similarly, publicist Alice Wu likes to use "long" and "monotone" TV to drift off, a habit that began when she used to have a baseball game playing in the background to fall asleep.