There’s nothing quite as relaxing as jumping into bed to binge-watch your favorite Netflix show. You have your snacks next to you and before you know it, the show’s already done. Some of you might commend yourselves for this accomplishment, but little do you know that you’re slowly deteriorating your health. Don’t believe it? Then take a look at some of the ways that binge-watching is damaging your health.

1. You Suffer from a Lack of Fresh Air and Vitamin D

The sunshine vitamin plays a crucial role in maintaining our bodies. Without it, your entire body is thrown out of whack including your mental state. Depression and mood swings are some of the earliest symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency. And your skin suddenly acting up could be blamed on low vitamin D levels as well. Also, spending too much indoors messes with your circadian clock – it regulates your sleep, appetite and energy. So at least make an effort to step outside a few times a day for some fresh air.

2. Binge-Watching Also Means Binge Eating

At this point it’s not only the shows that you’re binging. Maybe you find yourself making more trips to the kitchen in between episodes. And your clothes don’t fit the same anymore. But why are you suddenly eating so much? For one, binge eating is usually triggered by negative emotions such as sadness, anxiety and boredom. And remember that spending too much time indoors leads to low vitamin D levels which can in turn trigger depression? Exactly. You need to nip this bad habit in the bud before it gets out of control.

3. Your Body Gets Stiff from Lack of Movement

Let’s be honest, when you’re binge-watching the only time you get up is to: 1. use the bathroom, 2. get the remote and 3. to refill your junk food stash. But if that’s all the movement you’re engaging in, then you’re doing your body a huge disservice. Our bodies are designed to be active and sitting for over eight hours every day with minimal movement carries a death risk similar to smoking or obesity. You’re also putting yourself at risk of heart disease and even death. To counteract this, it’s best to get your body moving every 30 minutes or so.

4. It Can Dull Your Brain

Sure, movies and TV shows are entertaining, but having your eyes glued to the screen for over three hours does more harm than good. Children especially are prone to this as many parents let them indulge in a few hours of television time after school. You could be using that time more productively by engaging in intellectually stimulating activities like playing board games or simply reading. So, make an effort to cut down on your binge-watching hours, unless you’re fine with your brain getting duller.

5. You Find It Difficult to Focus on or Work on Other Tasks

When you’re binge-watching a show for hours, it’s not always easy to simply switch back to reality. Even while you’re out with friends or doing something important, you can sometimes find your mind obsessively wandering about what’s going to happen next. This can be super distracting and annoying, especially if the task requires your full attention. You don’t want your attention span getting shorter, do you? Then it might be time to cut down on binge-watching so you can have a clearer mind.