Social media use and adolescent sleep outcomes: cross-sectional findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study

Objectives This study examines associations between social media use and multiple sleep parameters in a large representative adolescent sample, controlling for a wide range of covariates. Design The authors used cross-sectional data from the Millennium Cohort Study, a large nationally representative UK birth cohort study. Participants Data from 11 872 adolescents (aged 13–15 years) were used in analyses. Methods Six self-reported sleep parameters captured sleep timing and quality: sleep onset and wake times (on school days and free days), sleep onset latency (time taken to fall asleep) and trouble falling back asleep after nighttime awakening. Binomial logistic regressions investigated associations between daily social media use and each sleep parameter, controlling for a range of relevant covariates. Results Average social media use was 1 to Conclusions This study provides a normative profile of UK adolescent social media use and sleep. Results indicate statistically and practically significant associations between social media use and sleep patterns, particularly late sleep onset. Sleep education and interventions can focus on supporting young people to balance online interactions with an appropriate sleep schedule that allows sufficient sleep on school nights.