Association between sleep quality and social media use in Australian adults

ABSTRACT Objective The current study examined the relationship between use of social media platforms and sleep quality in Australian adults. Method Data from 814 adults aged 18-59 years (65% female) were collected using an online survey. Participants reported socio-demographics, social media usages, and sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Results Two-thirds (68%) of participants reported poor sleep quality (overall PSQI score >5). Facebook (73%) and Facebook Messenger (70%) were the most used social media platforms, then Instagram (68%) and YouTube (63%). Multivariable logistic regression showed that Facebook Messenger users had 70% higher odds (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.20-2.41), while WhatsApp users had 38% lower odds (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.42-0.90) of reporting poor sleep quality compared to their non-user counterparts. Higher social media use was associated with poor sleep quality in a dose-dependent manner. Specifically, participants using social media for >3.5 hrs/d, compared to using social media ≤2 hrs/d, had more than double the odds for reporting poor sleep quality (OR 2.45, 95% CI 1.49-4.01 for using social media 3.5-5.0 hrs/d versus OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.77-4.41 for using social media >5.0 hrs/d). Conclusions The findings underscore the need for more efficient ways to use social media platforms to optimise sleep quality. Implications for practitioner psychologists are discussed. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: Higher social media use is associated with poorer sleep quality in adolescents. One in two Australian adults report sleep problems. There is scant research about the link between social media and sleep in adults. What does this topic add: Australian adults use social media on average 3.9 hrs/day. Using social media > 3.5 hours per day showed double the odds of adults reporting poor sleep quality than using social media ≤ 2 hours per day. Practitioners assisting Australian adults with poor sleep should consider social media use as a potential contributor, albeit more research is warranted.