You may not know it, but social media can actually disturb your sleep. Here’s a few things you need to know about social media and your sleep patterns.
Social Media and Sleep
In the journal of Preventative Medicine, they did a study which linked sleep disturbances and the use of social media. If you are constantly on social media, you may have poor sleep patterns. You should turn off all of your devices about one hour before you go to sleep especially your cellphone because most people have this device within reach when they go to bed.
The study was led by author Jessica C. Levenson, Ph.D, who is a postdoctoral researcher from the university of Pittsburgh’s Department of Psychiatry, indicates that social media can impact your sleep. This study looked at 1,800 frequent users of social media in the age range of 19 to 32. Some of the findings from the study indicated that:
Frequency
Those that checked social media often were around three times more likely to experience sleep disturbances when compared to those that checked social media less often.
Duration
Those participants that spent the most time on your social media account in any given day had twice the risk of sleep disturbances when compared to those who spent less time on their social media accounts. This study indicates that the frequency of social media visits might create more sleep difficulty than the actual time spent on these sites.
Cutting Down on Social Media Use
More study on sleep and social media is needed says Brian A. Primack, M.D., Ph.D, one of the lead authors of the study. It may be the other way around in that a lack of sleep leads to more use of social media. This in turn, creates a cycle where there’s more problems with sleep. Social media can be stimulating and reward the user keeping them at the screen for a longer duration.
Sleep Habits
To combat problems with sleep and social media, you need proper sleep habits. You can still use social media, but it should be in moderation. By using social media less often, you should find yourself getting better sleep. Moderation with your social media usage is really is the key in getting quality sleep.
References
- 1. Time and Qualcomm. Where do you keep your phone while you sleep? 2012. Referenced in: Khazan O. How smartphones hurt sleep? The Atlantic. February 24, 2015. http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/how-smartphones-are-ruining-our-sleep/385792/ (accessed April 7, 2015).
- 2. Levenson JC et al. The association between social media use and sleep disturbance among young adults. Prev Med. 2016;85:36–41. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/01/160126110759.htm (accessed March 8, 2016).
