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"Avoid screens before bed" is one of the most common pieces of sleep advice. But what if the real problem isn't screen time—it's the way we use social media at night?

Sleep deprivation is one of the most widespread yet overlooked , especially among young adults and adolescents.

Despite needing eight to 10 hours of sleep, fall short, while regularly get less than the recommended .

Poor sleep isn't just about feeling tired—it's linked to worsened , , , and even increased risk for and .

At the same time, among young adults, with 84% using at least one platform daily. While research has long focused on as the culprit for poor sleep, growing evidence suggests that people check social media—and how they are—matters even more than how long they spend online Brian B. Chin, a psychology professor at Trinity College, writes for .

As a , Chin studies how social behaviors, including social media habits, affect sleep and well-being. Sleep isn't just an individual behavior; it's shaped by our .

And one of the most common yet underestimated factors shaping modern sleep? How we engage with social media before bed.

Emotional investment in social media

Beyond simply measuring time spent on social media, researchers have started looking at how people feel to their social media use.

Some studies suggest that the way people emotionally engage with social media may have a greater impact on sleep quality than the total time they spend online.

In a 2024 study of 830 young adults, Chin and his colleagues examined how different types of . They found that frequent social media visits and emotional investment were stronger predictors of poor sleep than total screen time. Additionally, presleep cognitive arousal and social comparison played a key role in linking social media engagement to sleep disruption, suggesting that social media's effects on sleep extend beyond simple screen exposure.

These findings suggest that cutting screen time alone may not be enough—reducing how often people check social media and how emotionally connected they feel to it may be more effective in promoting healthier sleep habits.

How social media disrupts sleep

If you've ever struggled to fall asleep after scrolling through social media, it's not just the screen keeping you awake. While blue light can , the and that of others suggests that the way people interact with social media may play an even bigger role in .

Here are some of the biggest ways social media interferes with your sleep:

• Presleep arousal: and emotionally charged content on social media keeps your brain in a state of heightened alertness, making it harder to relax and fall asleep. Whether it's political debates, distressing news or even exciting personal updates, emotionally stimulating content can trigger increased that delays sleep onset.
• Social comparison: Viewing idealized social media posts before bed can lead to , increasing stress and making it harder to sleep. People tend to compare themselves to —vacations, fitness progress, career milestones—which can lead to that disrupt sleep.
• Habitual checking: is a strong predictor of poor sleep, as checking notifications and scrolling before bed can quickly become an automatic habit. Studies have shown that , especially after lights are out, is linked to shorter sleep duration, later bedtimes and lower sleep quality. This pattern reflects , where people delay sleep despite knowing it would be better for their health and well-being.
• Fear of missing out, or FOMO: The urge to stay connected also keeps many people scrolling long past their intended bedtime, making sleep feel secondary to staying updated. Research shows that higher are linked to and . The anticipation of new messages, posts or updates can create a sense of social pressure to stay online and reinforce the habit of delaying sleep.

Taken together, these factors make social media more than just a passive distraction—it becomes an active barrier to restful sleep. In other words, that late-night scroll isn't harmless—it's quietly rewiring your sleep and well-being.

How to use social media without sleep disruption

You don't need to quit social media, but restructuring how you engage with it at night could help. Research suggests that small to your can make a significant difference in sleep quality. Try these practical, evidence-backed strategies for improving your sleep:

• Give your brain time to wind down: Avoid emotionally charged content 30 to 60 minutes before bed to help your mind relax and prepare for sleep.
• Create separation between social media and sleep: Set your phone to "Do Not Disturb" or leave it outside the bedroom to avoid the temptation of late-night checking.
• Reduce mindless scrolling: If you catch yourself endlessly refreshing, take a and ask yourself: "Do I actually want to be on this app right now?"

A brief moment of awareness can help break the habit loop.