Scientists seriously recommend avoiding viewing social media before bed
Scientists have discovered that unexpected time spent before bed can lead to terrifying nightmares. Most of us do this. But according to research, viewing social media just before bed can increase the likelihood of having terrifying nightmares.
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Using apps before bed is thought to increase levels of stress and anxiety, which have long been linked to sleep problems. sleep and negative dreams, writes the Daily Mail.
The study found that up to three-quarters of Americans use social media before bed.
«As social media becomes increasingly intertwined with our lives, its influence extends beyond our waking hours and can influence our dreams,» said lead study author Reza Shabahang, a professor of psychology and social work at Flinders University in Australia.
< p>The study involved 595 Iranian adults who regularly used social media.
The group was asked to fill out a 14-question questionnaire called the Social Media Nightmare Scale. (SMNS) to determine the type of nightmares and their frequency.
"Participants were instructed to focus on their nightmares– those disturbing dreams that awaken them from sleep, – with the goal of capturing nightmares rather than ordinary bad dreams, – says the study. – The questions were designed to cover topics such as helplessness, loss of control, overwhelm, victimization and making mistakes on 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 "breaking up a relationship with other social media users.»
Research has shown that nightmares can be caused by stress related to online presence, cyberbullying, online hate, or cyberstalking.
Those who used social media more often and felt more emotionally connected to it were more likely to experience media-related nightmares, the study found.
The participants were divided into two groups — those over 27 and those under 27, with an average age of 27.75, and the study found there was no significant difference between the age groups or genders.
The researchers reported that the number of participants who had social media-related nightmares was rare, but they were able to link them to excessive social media use before bed.
The study did not specify how many participants had nightmares related to their use of social media, the Daily Mail notes.
Stressful events on social media, such as cyberbullying, can contribute to a person's development of increased levels of anxiety, decreased peace of mind and poor sleep quality — similar to serious psychological problems such as anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.
“Many young people are digital natives, born into the social media era and never experienced a time without social media,” the study authors write. – The use of social media is part of many people's daily lives, which can sometimes lead to addiction. It appears that the use of social media is considered almost compulsory, to the point that even excessive use is sometimes perceived as an adaptive form of addiction.»
The researchers advised people to take steps to avoid the temptation to use social media, including removing the phone from the bedroom when you go to bed, limiting distractions, and creating a comfortable and calming sleep space.
Conduct additional research to fully understand the implications of social media use, especially as technology continues to advance.
“With the rapid development of technology and media, including artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality, coupled with increased dependence on these technologies and deeper integration, it is expected that dreams involving technological and media content will become more frequent – says Professor Shabahang. – Future research could potentially expand the scope of this research by delving into areas such as nightmares associated with the supposed dangers of artificial intelligence.