Everywhere you turn, there is something new about the current COVID-19 pandemic. Depending on your level of interest with what is going on in the world, you might find yourself scouring social media all day and night. It may have even gotten to the point that this is what you search on a daily basis from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep. 

Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, SnapChat, TikTok or any other social media platform, we are online just about every part of our day. While it is hard to disconnect, it is important that you are mindful of when you mindlessly scroll through social media, especially if it is at nighttime because it can disrupt your sleep.

Who has poor quality sleep?

More than 800 freshman college students who use social media were analyzed. Researchers were looking at the differences in the characteristics of poor and good sleepers as it relates to social media use–during the day or nighttime.

After compiling their research, they found that 75% of the college students polled had experienced poor quality sleep. When comparing genders, 66% of men compared to 79% of women expressed that they had poor sleep quality. 

When bringing in physical activity, 67% of those who were active experienced poor sleep. For those who were less active, that number jumped to 82% of people exhibiting poor sleep. This was also the case for individuals with depression.

The dilemma with social media use at night

There are so many factors that can contribute to someone’s poor quality sleep. However, in this study poor quality sleep was directly related to social media use. For students who used social media for education, used their laptop more and had higher social media use during the day, poor sleep quality was lower. 

The risk of poor sleep quality was higher among those who used social media at nighttime more often than any other time during the day. When mindlessly searching Facebook before bed, just remember this could be negatively impacting the quality of your sleep.

Seek care now 

As a result of poor quality sleep, individuals can experience sociodemographic, lifestyle characteristics and health risk factors. 

Additionally, sleep apnea might play a role in your quality of sleep. To be sure your poor quality sleep isn’t more than just mindless scrolling online at night, contact us at AZ Sleep & TMJ Solutions to learn more. If it is sleep apnea, we can help you find a better way to improve your sleep each night.