Using electronic media before sleep can curtail sleep time and result in self-perceived insufficient sleep

Abstract

Electronic media are widespread and research has revealed connections between media use and sleep loss. In this study we aimed to elucidate how many media users get insufficient sleep and whether lengthy media use before sleep curtails sleep. Registered monitor members were surveyed twice on the Internet. The prevalence of self-perceived insufficient sleep ascribed by respondents to using electronic media before sleep was 48.0% (first survey) and 45.0% (second survey). Younger respondents more frequently ascribed using media before sleep as a factor in their perceived insufficient sleep than older respondents. After excluding respondents who ascribed their perceived insufficient sleep to factors other than the electronic media, the sleep duration before a workday was 6.38 Ϯ 1.04 h for light media users (<2.5 h) before sleep, 6.20 Ϯ 1.10 h for intermediate users (Ն2.5 and <3.5 h) and 6.22 Ϯ 1.09 h for heavy users (Ն3.5 h). A Scheffe analysis revealed a significant difference between the light users and medium users (P = 0.02), and between light users and heavy users (P = 0.03). Only 29.0% of light users perceived they had insufficient sleep compared to 53.5% of heavy users. Users who perceived they had insufficient sleep reported a greater disparity in their sleep duration before workdays compared with that before non-workdays (P < 0.001) and a greater disparity between their perceived sufficient sleep hours and their actual sleep time before workdays (P < 0.001). There was a significant difference in disparity between perceived sufficient sleep and actual sleep time before workdays among media use groups (P = 0.002). Because half the respondents ascribed insufficient sleep to using electronic media, attention should be given to media use before sleep as a cause of perceived insufficient sleep. Figure 1 The flow diagram of the progress throughout this study. Media use and sleep complaints 205

Impact of lifestyle and technology developments on sleep

“…Associations between sleep patterns and electronic media exposure have been reported extensively in children and adolescents15,17,63–68 as well as in adults 66,69. Overall, electronic media exposure in children and adolescents was most consistently associated with later bedtime and shorter sleep duration, and the presence of a media device in the bedroom was associated with increased exposure, later bedtime and shorter sleep 16,17,63.…”

Sleep Quality as a Mediator Between Technology-Related Sleep Quality, Depression, and Anxiety

“…Moreover, excessive use of computers and mobile devices in the bedroom delays bedtimes and rise times. 8,9 Adolescents with four or more technological devices in their room had significantly less sleep on school nights and weekends than those with three or fewer devices. 10 As early as 2003, Van Den Bulck found that up to 1/3 of adolescents woke up from a text at least one time per month, with this trend increasing with age.…”

“…Sleep habits in college students are also very erratic, with weekday and weeknight schedules constantly shifting to meet the demands of college life. 15 Further, students who use mobile devices and social networking sites to maintain former relationships and foster new relationships in college may be at increased risk for sleep problems due to behavioral mechanisms, such as disruptions in sleep hygiene behaviors, 8 and biological mechanisms. Bright lights and active forms of technology increase physiological arousal and suppress melatonin production, therefore delaying sleep onset.…”

Television Viewing, Internet Use, and Self-Reported Bedtime and Rise Time in Adults: Implications for Sleep Hygiene Recommendations From an Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study

“…sleep (Suganuma et al, 2007) and to increased sleep disturbances (Thomée, Eklöf, Gustafsson, Nilsson, & Hagberg, 2007).…”