Impact of high-frequency email and instant messaging (E/IM) interactions during the hour before bed on self-reported sleep duration and sufficiency in female Australian children and adolescents

Introduction: Social media interactions via email and instant messaging (E/IM) are common in children and adolescents and may lead to insufficient sleep. This study investigated associations between high-frequency E/IM use to interact with peers, perceived insufficient sleep, and reduced time in bed (TIB) in female children and adolescents. Methods: The Children's Report of Sleep Patterns was completed by 189 female primary and secondary school students (8-16 years old). Responses were categorized as binary variables (high-frequency use vs not high-frequency use; right amount of sleep vs too little sleep), and TIB was calculated from bed and wake times for the previous 24 hours. Results: High-frequency social media interactions using E/IM during the hour before bed were significantly associated with perceived insufficient sleep (odds ratio [confidence interval]: 2.68 [1.39-5.17]) but not with reduced TIB (−19.07 [−40.02 to 1.89]). Conclusions: High-frequency social media interactions using E/IM in the hour before bed are a potentially modifiable risk factor for insufficient sleep in female students. Strategies to reduce nighttime usage may improve sleep in children and adolescents.