Do cliffhangers at the end of TV shows affect subsequent sleep? We investigated this in a sleep lab study.
Although suspenseful TV shows and especially those ending on a cliffhanger increase arousal, they only have minor impacts on sleep. Participants fell asleep faster after a suspenseful vs. not suspenseful show, but objective sleep quality was lower after a cliffhanger.
See our full publication in sleep medicine:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389945723000072