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Scientists discover surprising pastime before bed can lead to terrifying nightmares
Most of us do it.
But checking social media directly before bed may raise the likelihood of having terrifying nightmares, according to a study.
It is thought that using apps before bed can raise stress and anxiety levels which have long been linked to sleep issues and negative dreams.
The find comes as surveys show up to three-quarters of Americans use social media around bedtime.
Researchers found that going on our favorite social media apps before bed is linked to more frequent distressing nightmares
'As social media becomes increasingly intertwined with our lives, its impact extends beyond waking hours, and may influence our dreams,' said the study's lead author Reza Shabahang, a 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 fill out a 14-question survey, called the Social Media-Related Nightmare Scale (SMNS), to measure the type of nightmares and how frequently they occurred.
'Participants were instructed to specifically focus on nightmares – those distressing dreams that awaken them from sleep – with the aim of capturing nightmares rather than general bad dreams,' the study said.
'The items were crafted to center around themes of helplessness, loss of control, inhibition, victimization, and making mistakes within the realm of social media. Response options ranged from zero (never) to seven (several times a week).'
Results showed that the most common nightmare was being unable to log in to social media platforms followed by the 'disruption of relationships with other social media users.'
The study found that the nightmares can be brought on by the stress of maintaining an online presence, cyberbullying, online hate or cyberstalking.
Those who reported using social media more frequently than others and felt more emotionally connected to them experienced media-related nightmares more often, the study found.
The participants were split into two groups - those over 27 years old and under - with the average age being 27.75 and the study found there wasn't a significant difference between the age groups or genders.
Researchers suggested taking steps like keeping your phone out of your 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 social media events like cyberbullying can contribute to a person developing heightened anxiety levels, lower peace of mind and poor sleep quality - similar to severe psychological problems like anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.
'Many young people are digital natives, born in the social media age and never knowing a time in which life was not intermingled with social media,' the authors wrote in the study.
'Social media use is part of the daily life routine of many people, which can sometimes lead to addiction.'
'It appears that social media use is almost considered obligatory, to the extent that even excessive use is sometimes perceived as an adaptive form of addiction.'
The researchers advised that people take steps to remove the temptation of social media including keeping your phone out of your bedroom when you go to sleep, limiting distractions and creating a comfortable and calming space to sleep.
More studies needs to be conducted to fully understand the implications of social media use, especially as technology continues to evolve.
'With the rapid advances in technology and media, including artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality, along with the increasing dependency on these technologies and deeper integration, it is anticipated that dreams featuring technological and media content will become more frequent,' Prof. Shabahang said.
'Future studies have the potential to expand the scope of this exploration, delving into areas such as nightmares related to the perceived dangers of AI.'