Effect Of Social Media Usages Before Bedtime On Sleep Latency And Quality

Authors: Dr. Sagar Bayaskar

Abstract: Background: Social media engagement before bedtime is increasingly common young adults and may disrupt sleep onset and quality through cognitive stimulation and light exposure. Aim: To examine the association between pre-sleep social media usage duration and sleep latency, sleep quality, and next-day alertness. Methods: Thirty-five young adults (18 males, 17 females; 18–40 years) were interviewed regarding their bedtime social media use, sleep pattern, and perceived restfulness. Participants were grouped into low-use (<30 min), moderate use (30-60 min), and high use (>60min) categories. Results: High use participants (n=14; 40%) reported significantly longer sleep latency (mean 38.5 min) and more frequent awakening compared to low- use participants (n=9; mean 14.2 min latency. Moderate and high use groups reported lower sleep scores and greater morning fatigue. Conclusion: Excessive social media use before bedtime is linked to delayed sleep onset and poorer sleep quality. Limiting screen exposure may improve sleep outcomes.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17036534