To Sleep Perchance to Dream… About Facebook: The Mechanisms of Media Use and Disordered Sleep

Studies associate media use with an increasing sleep deficit, but fail to provide an explanatory mechanism. This study proposed a path model to examine potential technological mechanism(s) disrupting sleep, focusing on whether sleep is disrupted biologically through melatonin suppression, psychologically through cognitive processes while viewing media content, or mechanistically through device-based interruptions. The Daily Media Use Scale was used to assess technology usage, while the NSF “Sleep in America” poll was modified to assess sleep quality. Adult participants (n=650) were recruited via snowball sampling using an online, anonymous survey. It was hypothesized, based on literature and theory, that melatonin suppression would be the weakest predictor of sleep quality, while media content would be the strongest predictor. Cellphone interruptions, laptop use, general cellphone use, and homework/schoolwork activities in the hour before bed predicted poor sleep quality on a weekend, while only general cellphone use or the light from using a device with a small screen interrupted sleep during the week. Thus, all hypotheses were supported. This study holds great relevance for psychologists, media, and non-psychologists; by avoiding the activities implicated in sleep disruption, individuals will receive better sleep, increasing work productivity, memory, and interpersonal communication. While we think we are relaxing before bed by turning our lights off and flipping our phones open to check Facebook and Words With Friends, our sleep would actually be better if we settled down into the blankets, with the lights on, and read a book or, as data suggested, watch television (a more passive activity).