Social media usage: how it affects students' sleep quality

Social media use has raised alarms regarding addiction, and manipulative content. But their link to sleep problems was barely researched, until a 2023 study.<sup>1</sup>

Social Media and Insomnia in the Cyber Age

A study from Wuhan, China, examined the effects of social media use on the sleep quality of a total of 2,744 participants. It used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), questionnaires assessing social media fatigue (SMF), fear of missing out (FOMO), and social media addiction (SMA), as well as questions on sleep duration, social media use, health status, and demographic information. The data was collected from participating university students via an online survey.¹

So-called social media fatigue has been shown to impact sleep quality

Almost 20% of respondents suffered from sleep disturbances. Only 21.6% of subjects achieved a sleep duration of more than 9 hours. Sleep duration of less than 5 hours was recorded in 15.6% of participants. Sleep quality was positively correlated with SMF (OR = 1.387, 95% CI: 1.103–1.743) and SMA (OR = 1.415, 95% CI: 1.118–1.791). The association between FoMO and sleep disturbance was not significant. FoMO and SMA also had no significant impact on sleep duration. Compared with a sleep duration of >9 hours, SMF increased the risk of shorter sleep duration as follows:

5-6 hours of sleep (OR = 2.226, 95% CI: 1.132-4.375)
6-7 hours of sleep (OR = 1.458, 95% CI: 1.061-2.002)
7-8 hours of sleep (OR = 1.296, 95% CI: 1.007-1.670)¹

The research group concluded from the results that students who experience negative consequences of social media use, such as SMF and SMA, are more likely to suffer from sleep problems.¹

What could be the causes of FOMO, SMF, and SMA?

The fear of missing out is prevalent in a specific population, among others: People experiencing FOMO may experience heightened levels of negative emotions. These, in turn, can lead to impairments in social interactions. The reciprocal relationship between FOMO and problematic social media use can result in SMF and SMA: In those affected, constant engagement with social media can increase levels of exhaustion and thus lead to SMF.

This behavior has been associated with a compulsion or addiction in those affected. Worldwide, the pooled prevalence of SMA is 5% (95% CI: 3% to 7%). This may sound small at first, but it is a steadily growing problem among university students that can negatively impact mental health, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and academic performance.¹

Students suffer from higher levels of insomnia

The prevalence of insomnia among university students worldwide is 18.5%. This figure is significantly higher than the prevalence in the general population (7.4%). Among the Chinese university students studied in Wuhan, the pooled overall prevalence rates for sleep disturbances were 25.7% (95% CI: 22.5–28.9%) and for insomnia symptoms were 23.6% (95% CI: 18.9–29.0%).¹

Practical Conclusion

In connection with social media, certain individuals can develop addiction and frustration due to FOMO, which can ultimately lead to sleep problems. However, the present study found no influence of FOMO on sleep quality or duration.
In the present study, SMA affected sleep quality but could not be associated with sleep duration.
Worldwide, the pooled prevalence of SMA is currently 5% (95% CI: 3% to 7%).
The prevalence of insomnia in the general population worldwide is 7.4%.
Among university students (worldwide), the prevalence of insomnia reaches higher values: 18.5%.
In the study, constant engagement with social media increased the students' level of exhaustion and led to SMF.
Compulsive behavior was observed in those affected when using social media.

Source

Zhu X. et al. (2023). Exploring associations between social media addiction, social media fatigue, fear of missing out and sleep quality among university students: A cross-section study. PLoS One. 2023 Oct 5;18(10):e0292429.