Is Social Media To Blame For Our Lack of Sleep?

We’ve all heard it before. Social media is bad for our health. It ruins our sleep, causes us to be distracted and can even lead to depression. But is this really true? Or are we just looking for an excuse because we don’t want to be glued to our phones all day? In this article, we will take a look at the facts and see if social media is really to blame for our lack of sleep!

It’s no secret that social media can be addictive. We get a little hit of dopamine every time we receive a like or comment on our posts. This can lead us to spend more time than we should on social media, and often means that we are checking our phones late into the night.

A study by Deloitte found that social media users check their phones an average of 46 times per day. That’s over 17,000 times per year! And it’s not just young people who are addicted to social media. The study found that social media use is highest among 35-44 year olds, with 78% of respondents admitting to being online “several times a day”.

So it’s no surprise that social media is having an impact on our sleep. A study by the University of Pittsburgh found that social media use was linked to poorer sleep quality and less time spent sleeping. The study also found that social media use was associated with increased feelings of loneliness and depression.

But it’s not just the act of using social media that can impact our sleep. The content we consume on social media can also be a factor. A study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that children who were exposed to more social media had worse sleep quality than those who were not.

The AAP study found that social media use was linked to increased levels of anxiety and depression in children. This is likely because social media can give children a distorted view of the world. They see the highlight reel of everyone else’s life and compare it to their own, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and anxiety.

So what can we do to combat the effects of social media on our sleep? First, try to limit your social media use to 30 minutes per day. This will help you to avoid getting sucked into the social media black hole! Second, make sure you are not using social media within an hour of going to bed.

The blue light from our screens can disrupt our natural sleep cycle and make it harder to fall asleep. Consider trying Blue Light Glasses if you need to use technology close to bedtime and reduce the amount of blue light before bed.

Finally, try to be aware of the content you are consuming on social media. Limit your time on social media to periods when you know you will see positive, uplifting content. This will help you to avoid the negative impact social media can have on your mood and sleep quality.

So there you have it! Social media is definitely having an impact on our sleep. But we can combat the effects by being mindful of our social media use and the content we consume.