Study 1: Internet Addiction & Sleep Problems

Alimoradi, Z., Lin, C., Broström, A., Bülow, P. H., Bajalan, Z., Griffiths, M. D., Ohayon, M. M., & Pakpour, A. H. (2019). Internet addiction and sleep problems: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 47, 51–61.

Key Findings on Internet Addiction and Sleep Problems:

🔵 People with internet addiction are 2.2x more likely to have sleep problems than those without internet addiction.

🔵 People with internet addiction get, on average, 15 minutes less sleep each night than people without internet addiction.

🔵 Most of the studies were based around young people, which raises an alarm about the serious effects of problematic internet use on developing brains.

Internet addiction has been found to have many negative effects on health and well-being, including sleep. Most of us have had nights where we’ve stayed up late scrolling online instead of sleeping at a reasonable time. It turns out that research supports the connection between problematic internet use and sleep problems.

One meta-analysis reviewed 23 studies to measure the impact of internet addiction on sleep quality. According to this data, people with internet addiction are 2.2 times more likely to have sleep problems than those without internet addiction. In terms of time, people with internet addiction slept an average of 15 minutes less each night than people without internet addiction.

15 minutes may not seem like very big of a difference – but the authors note that this is on top of the poor sleep quality that people with internet addiction are getting. Not only do people with internet addiction get 15 minutes less of sleep, the sleep they are getting is of poorer quality. This combination creates a serious health risk for people with internet addiction.

This review included studies from across 14 different countries, which shows that the negative effects of internet addiction on sleep are relevant across cultures. 
Most of the studies included measured the impact of internet addiction on young people, specifically. Children, teens, and young adults are especially vulnerable to developing internet addiction – but they’re also the group who needs the most sleep. Young people, especially, need to practice good sleep hygiene habits and ensure they aren’t letting internet use get in the way of getting quality sleep each night.

Parents can support their children and teens by encouraging them to stay off screens for at least 1 to 2 hours before bedtime and having open, non-judgmental discussions about problematic internet use and its effects.

Sources:

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079219300267?casa_token=dPrqBBTPJiQAAAAA:KWuZww9QiN-VaX5Smtz-E39c_OcthzFzHU4DHk-iKJsvjw_20XKmc5mT55DzYe6arsZxUTJQm3k
• https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2019.06.004