Social Media and Sleep Health

Abstract

Social media interferes with pediatric sleep health with downstream consequences for mental health and other developmental outcomes. Based on the literature on screen use and sleep, social media likely affects sleep through the following proposed mechanisms: activity displacement, content-related arousal, alerting effects of light, and disruptions from noises and vibrations. Future research on this topic should improve measurement of both social media use and sleep health. Scalable, sustainable, and effective interventions should be developed and evaluated. We offer clinical recommendations for reducing the negative effects of social media on pediatric sleep health.

Keywords: Mental health; Pediatric populations; Sleep health; Social media.