Most of us do it.
But checking social media just before bed can increase the risk of terrifying nightmares, according to a study.
It’s thought that using apps before bed can increase stress and anxiety levels, which have long been linked to sleep problems and negative dreams.
The finding comes as studies show that three-quarters of Americans use social media around bedtime.
Researchers found that visiting our favorite social media apps before bed is linked to the increased occurrence of disturbing nightmares
“As social media becomes increasingly intertwined with our lives, its impact extends beyond waking hours and can influence our dreams,” said the study’s lead author, Reza Shabahang, professor of psychology and social work at Flinders University. in Australia.
The study included 595 Iranian adults who regularly used social media.
The group was asked to complete a 14-question survey called the Social Media-Related Nightmare Scale (SMNS) to measure the types of nightmares and how often they occurred.
“Participants were instructed to focus specifically on nightmares – those disturbing dreams that wake them from sleep – with the aim of capturing nightmares rather than general bad dreams,” the study said.
‘The items are created around themes of helplessness, loss of control, inhibition, victimhood and making social media mistakes. The response options ranged from zero (never) to seven (several times a week).’
The results showed that the most common nightmare was not being able to log into social media platforms, followed by the ‘disruption of relationships with other social media users’.
The study found that the nightmares could be caused by the stress of having an online presence, cyberbullying, online hate or cyberstalking.
Those who reported using social media more often than others and felt more emotionally connected to it were more likely to experience media-related nightmares, the study found.
The participants were split into two groups – those over 27 and younger – with an average age of 27.75. The study found that there was no significant difference between age groups or genders.
Researchers suggested taking steps, such as keeping your phone out of the bedroom when you go to sleep, to limit distractions that could lead to nightmares.
The researchers reported that the number of participants who experienced social media-related nightmares was rare, but were able to link those who did to excessive use of Instagram, X and Facebook before bed.
The study did not specify how many participants had nightmares attributed to social media use.
Stressful events on social media, such as cyberbullying, can contribute to a person developing increased anxiety levels, lower peace of mind and poor sleep quality – similar to serious mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation.
“Many young people are digital natives, born into the age of social media and have never known a time when life wasn’t intertwined with social media,” the authors wrote in the study.
‘The use of social media is part of many people’s daily routine, which can sometimes lead to addiction.’
“It seems that social media use is almost considered mandatory, to the extent that even excessive use is sometimes seen as an adaptive form of addiction.”
The researchers recommended that people take steps to eliminate the temptation of social media, including keeping their social media ring from your bedroom when you go to sleep, limiting distractions and creating a comfortable and restful sleeping space.
More studies need to be conducted to fully understand the implications of social media use, especially as technology continues to evolve.
“With rapid advancements in technology and media, including artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality, along with increasing dependence on these technologies and deeper integration, dreams about technological and media content are expected to become more common,” says Prof. said Shabahang.
‘Future studies have the potential to expand the scope of this exploration and delve into areas such as nightmares related to the perceived dangers of AI.’