It doesn't bother me, as the amount of energy those things all take is so small it doesn't really amount to much.

In my opinion it is much more worrisome that you are getting up in the middle of the night. I would seek a doctors help for why you aren't sleeping! (Just playing around).

Nah, just doing the "bedtime checks", doors locked, cats watered. But all those little lights on, it's like little eyes glowing in the dark. Now THAT will keep me awake nights!

When philwojo says these things use small amounts of power, he is referring to them being LED lights whose power consumption is indeed tiny. They also run cool, which is why you can consider taping over them.

But they still annoy the heck out of me, too. To your list, I could add wireless phones, any kind of charger, my ipod docking-station/clock radio, the tv and electronics, and etc. Don't get me started about my editing studio, either. At least my washing machine only lights up when in use and my 20 year-old dryer is a pre-electronic model which has no lights of any kind except for inside the drum.

For the annoyance, I would suggest something thicker than standard masking tape because you'll still see the %@$* little lights shining through. Also, something more durable. Like electrical tape, Duct Tape or Gorilla Tape.

What happens during the day? Will you remove the tape and replace it every night? It's in the kitchen, it won't keep you awake.

I have a friend who brought her laptop over because she was having some problems. I got confused at first because I couldn't see any lights on - she tapes over them because she keeps her laptop in her bedroom and the lights do bother her at night. I told her to keep it elsewhere - it is a wireless laptop after all - but she doesn't want it "cluttering up" her other rooms.

Weissman--can't she turn the laptop towards the wall? Or stash it under the bed? This falls under the heading of really easy problems to fix.

She likes to keep it all set up and plugged in - easier for her to tape it up then move it every night!

Glad to know I am not the only one annoyed by all these lights and signals. Is it too much to ask that my appliances just shut up and leave me alone?? I recently returned a coffeemaker because its obnoxious blue clock-light lit up the kitchen.

I don't like all those little lights in the night either... I want my bedroom completely dark. That is why the bedroom tv and all components are still in a huge, now out of date, Armoir... I can shut the doors and poof... the annoying little lights are gone.... I did away with my nightstand clock/radio. I have a pretty good internal clock and if I really want to know what time it is, I just look at my iphone. I do have some nightlights in various places in the house, to help save toes incase I did have to come out of my bedroom. If they bother you that much I would say by all means put a little piece of black electrical tape over them, I have done that before to some too....

Funny, I don't have a problem with the clock light in the bedroom. But it's only one light. (Our tvs and paraphernalia are on power strips). Too many lights, like the den with the router etc. and the kitchen, makes me feel like I'm in an old Disney fairy tale, you know, where the princess is fleeing through the woods and eyes are peering out at her from the gloom.

Guess you're not alone - I just looked at the owners manuals for my new MW and range and both have the option to turn off the display.

As for clocks being out of synch, that requires about 2 minutes twice a year to deal with. When I adjust for the time change I have one of my kids eye the cable box and yell when the minute changes, at which point I simultaneously start the clocks on both MW and oven.

I had a bad experience with a glowing red clock radio display over 30 years ago. I used to have dreams where I would partially wake up but still think the dream was real. My husband has a whole bunch of funny stories about me waking up and yelling something odd. Before I met him, however, when I shared a townhouse with my cousin, I apparently woke up and somehow transferred the sight of the glowing red clock radio display onto the ceiling, and in my semiconscious state, it became a floating shiny red "thing." I screamed, and my cousin ran in my room. "I saw something!!" I said, still not thinking clearly. "I heard something" she said. It was probably me, screaming. But we spooked our little 20-something selves enough that my cousin called the sheriff's department. By the time they arrived (and it turned out to be a guy I went to high school with, how embarrassing is that?) we had realized that it was just one of my dreams, and not a floating red sparkly alien. I imagine he dined out on that story for weeks.

So I'm all for putting tape over lights.

Ha ha! Good one!

I had a similar experience when, one night, a little green firefly came into our bedroom. I was SURE the satellite receive (with its green stand-by light) came at me! I'm still being laughed at by my GF who I almost beat up while trying to wake her up to save me.

Other than that, most of my electronics have a real on/off switch that turns all the light off. I use that switch every time. The only things that lights up at night are the internet router (does have a power button but also controls the phone etc. so it remains on), the microwave and the stereo. Things like the (dish-) washer turn themselves off one minute after the cycle ends. Chargers are never left plugged in.

Alex

You all are too funny! I did look in my owner manuals, foodonastump, but nothing about turning off displays. ( I do like your annual simultaneous changing of the clocks ritual, kind of like the New Year's calendar flip. ) I may have to take JWVideo's advice and put duct tape over them. Oh, but duct tape comes in such bright colors and patterns now, it may not help.

Oh, dear, now I will start dreaming of lights flying at me. Thanks so much all LOL!

black electrical tape.