Researchers link social media use to poor sleep
With concerns about social media’s impact on youth mental health, a new study offers insights into screen habits linked with better sleep.
One fifth of adolescents reported using their phone or other devices after waking up during the night in the past week. (CREDIT: CC BY-SA 3.0)
The US Surgeon General recently recommended a warning label for social media platforms due to concerns about their impact on youth mental health.
Highlighting potential links between social media use and poor sleep quality, the Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health emphasized the need for adolescents and parents to take specific actions to improve sleep.
A national study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health provides valuable insights into screen habits that contribute to better sleep.
“Ensuring adolescents get enough sleep is vital, as it supports their physical and mental growth and development,” says Dr. Jason Nagata, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. “Our research found that leaving notifications on, even in silent mode, leads to less sleep compared to turning the phone off completely or keeping it outside the bedroom.”
Here are some practical tips:
Keep screens out of the bedroom. Having a TV or internet-connected device in the bedroom is linked with shorter sleep duration.
Turn off the phone. Leaving the phone ringer on or setting notifications to silent or vibrate is associated with less sleep compared to turning it off entirely. Adolescents who leave the phone ringer on have a 25% higher risk of sleep disturbance. Additionally, 16.2% of teens reported being woken by phone calls, texts, or emails after going to bed in the past week.
Avoid social media before bed. Using social media, chatting online, playing video games, browsing the internet, and watching or streaming movies and TV shows while in bed before sleeping all contribute to less sleep.
Avoid using your phone if you wake up during the night. One fifth of adolescents reported using their phone or other devices after waking up during the night in the past week, which is associated with less sleep overall.
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Researchers analyzed data from 9,398 preteens aged 11-12, part of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States.
The data, collected from 2018-2021, included responses about sleep habits and screen use at bedtime. A quarter of preteens experienced sleep disturbances, with 16.2% being woken by phone calls, texts, or emails, and 19.3% using their phone or another device after waking overnight.
“Adolescents can be extremely sensitive to phone notifications, often waking up instantly when they hear their phone,” said Nagata. “Even if a phone is on silent or vibrate, adolescents may still check it overnight. Once they start reading or responding to messages, they can become more alert and activated.”
“Adolescent development is a challenging time for many given the social pressures and physical, psychological, and emotional changes that occur,” added co-author Kyle T. Ganson, assistant professor at the University of Toronto's Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. “Understanding this process and being present to support youth in their social media use is crucial.”
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