Is Social Media Before Bed Bad for You?

There’s a time and place for everything, including checking social media sites. Whether tweeting, pinning, posting, or PMing is your cup of tea, it’s best to keep these activities out of your bed. Research shows social media usage prior to bedtime leads to sleep disturbances. Furthermore, social media and its interference with healthy sleep patterns can also contribute to other serious health problems like depression and anxiety disorders.

What the research says about social media and sleep problems

The University of Pittsburgh conducted research on the correlation between social media usage and sleep problems by surveying a nationally representative group of 1,788 adults between the ages of 19 and 32. The survey evaluated the frequency and volume of social media use. Frequency refers to the number of visits a person makes to social media sites during the course of one week, whereas volume refers to the measurement of the total amount of time spent on social media sites each day. The researchers also evaluated the study participants’ self-reported information on sleep disturbances.

The survey found that participants in the top 25 percent of social media use had almost two times the risk of sleep disruption compared to those with the least social media use.

Other research initiatives have demonstrated that college-age young adults who use social media during normal sleeping hours are more likely to have cognitive impairment and daytime sleepiness. Perhaps not surprisingly, young adults are also very likely to keep mobile devices within reach of their beds and to use these devices while in bed.

Improving your social media/sleep balance

Since sleep has a bi-directional relationship with depression and because sleep deprivation can lead to other serious health problems like obesity and heart disease, it’s important to carefully balance one’s sleep needs with one’s social media use.

Experts recommend making the sleeping area a no-device zone; charge your mobile device out of the bedroom so you won’t hear it buzz during the night. If you do wake up during the night, resist the urge to check your phone. If you use your phone as an alarm clock, consider purchasing an actual alarm clock so you can keep your phone out of your bedroom. Experts also recommend ceasing your usage of all electronics, including ebook devices and TV, at least one hour before bedtime.

How to get the best sleep of your life

Here at Mattress World Northwest, it’s our life’s mission to help each of our customers find the perfect mattress for their unique needs to help them get the restorative sleep they need. Whatever type or size of mattress you’re looking for we’ve got plenty of options to choose from. Mattress World Northwest is proud to carry top-of-the-line mattresses by Sealy, Simmons, Stearns & Foster, Aireloom, Easy Rest, and many more. Choose from organic mattresses, adjustable beds, luxury innersprings, memory foam, and dreamy pillow top sets!

Stop by one of our 17 convenient locations in the greater Portland area to begin your quest for the perfect night’s sleep or give us a call at (503) 713-6572.

Resources:

The Huffington Post, Tweeting, Not Sleeping? What Is Your Social Media/Sleep Balance? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-michael-j-breus/tweeting-not-sleeping-what-is-your-social-mediasleep-balance_b_9103468.html

Restonic, Why You Need to Stop Surfing Social Media Before Bed, http://restonic.com/blog/sleep-study-social-media-18923

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