by Chelsey Brophy, Ph.D., HSPP
“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.”
-Irish Proverb
Sweet (social-media-free) Dreams
While many of us enjoy the technology that is rapidly intertwined throughout our daily lives, new research indicates that our devices may be impacting our sleep. Texting, use of social media, the need for constant connectedness, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), and overall screen time tends to be particularly troubling for the young generation with regard to obtaining good quality sleep.
Several studies have begun tracking social media and technology usage, but until recently few studies have investigated the impact of social media on sleep. In relation to general usage, the Kaiser Family Foundation (Roberts, Foehr, & Rideout, 2005) found that teens spend an average of 53 hours per week engaged in some form of electronic media, equating to more than seven hours per day. Additional research from the Pew Research Center suggests rapidly increasing usage of social media, in particular, with 90% of youth aged 18-29 engaged in some sort of social media.
What are the impacts of this increase in usage? The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine just found that social media is impacting the sleep of our nation’s youth to a significant degree. While this may be very apparent in the homes of anyone who has a teenager, this groundbreaking study is the first of its kind to formally document what parents may have known for several years. Today, the most common social media platforms include Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vine, and LinkedIn. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study (Levenson, Shensa, Sidani, Colditz, & Primack, 2016) included 1,788 individuals ages 19 to 32. They reported an average of 61 minutes of social media use per day and 30 visits to social media sites per week. The study found that those who checked social media most frequently and spent the longest duration on social media throughout the week were two to three times more likely to experience sleep disturbance. Overall (and regardless of their amount of social media usage), close to 30% of participants reported high levels of sleep disturbance.
While researchers are only beginning to document what many parents have suspected, future studies will try to answer additional questions such as cause and effect. Does social media cause sleep disturbance? Does sleep disturbance lead to social media use? Or maybe it’s both; sleep disturbance and social media interacting. Despite not having all the answers about social media and technology’s impact on sleep, we do know sleep is important, particularly for children and teens. Unhealthy sleep habits can lead to sleep deprivation, which can impact physical health, mental health, and academic performance. Specifically, difficulties with sleep are linked to obesity, high blood pressure, depression, behavioral problems, and drug abuse.
Given the importance of sleep and the younger generation’s utilization of their devices and social media at an increasing rate, this topic bears careful exploration. It’s important to be aware of technology’s potential impact on sleep, how to monitor its usage, and how find a healthy balance that allows youth to live in their connected world while preserving their much-needed sleep. There are several recommendations regarding good sleep hygiene and technology that can assist groggy-eyed children waking up in the morning. For most teens, nine hours of sleep each night is recommended. This means parents may be trying to wake them up during their deepest phase of sleep if they had not gone to bed early enough. Below are a few recommendations that may be beneficial in your home in monitoring device usage overall and reducing its impact on sleep.
- Get kids outside and active: Regular exercise and exposure to sunlight helps improve sleep quality and also encourages time away from electronic devices.
- Keep regular sleep schedules: Having a consistent routine and bedtime structure alerts the body to start preparing for sleep.
- Screen-free time and zones: Limit/eliminate social media and device usage an hour before bed and charge devices outside the bedroom. This will assist in settling the mind and body and reduce a young person’s temptation to check devices in the middle of the night or when sleeping is difficult.
- “Blue Blocking” eyeglasses: If limiting device and screen time before bed seems unrealistic in your home, “blue blocking” eyeglasses may be an option. These glasses block the blue wavelengths that emanate from electronic screens. These invisible wavelengths interfere with chemicals in the brain that help with sleep and regulation of the circadian rhythm. Alternately, many devices now have screen overlays that provide a similar effect in blocking blue light.
- Implement a structured morning routine with incentives: Having a consistent morning routine with incentives for waking up and getting ready may be helpful in motivating sleepy children to get out of bed.
Print References
Levenson J.C., Shensa A., Sidani J.E., Colditz J.B., Primack B.A. (2016). The association between social media use and sleep disturbance among young adults. Preventative Medicine, 85, 36-41. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.01.001
Roberts, D. F., Foehr, U.G., Rideout, V. (2005). Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8 to 18 Year Olds. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Menlo Park, CA: 3-4.
