When screens, sleep, and social media collide

Screen time right before bed isn't the best idea for achieving great sleep—but if you do partake, it may be better to throw on your favorite Netflix show than doomscroll for eternity.

That's according to a new study suggesting screen time alone isn't to blame for poor sleep, but rather how often people check social media—and how emotionally engaged they are while scrolling.

Sleep screening

Led by social psychologist and sleep researcher Brian N. Chin, the study examined 830 young adults to determine how different types of social media engagement impacted sleep problems. In addition to measuring overall time on social media, the researchers also gauged how emotionally connected participants felt and whether this had a subsequent effect on their sleep.

The results: Frequent social media visits and higher emotional investment were stronger predictors of poor sleep compared to overall screen time, researchers found. The emotional investments that most impacted sleep patterns were social comparison, reading emotionally charged news, and fear of missing out (FOMO).

But other scientists disagree. Recent research into sleep, screens, and social media has produced more mixed signals than a Tinder situationship. A similar 2022 study found screen use itself is the main factor that leads to sleep disruption—regardless of whether it comes from scrolling social media, streaming, gaming, etc.