Using social media for just one hour a day is enough to disrupt your sleeping pattern, new study suggests

Participants who spent at least 60 minutes on social media a day suffered more sleep issues than those who did not
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Harriet Pavey25 January 2018

Using social media for just one hour a day can disrupt your sleeping pattern, a new study has warned.

Spending time on social networks such as Facebook, Snapchat and WhatsApp has a negative impact on sleep duration, Canadian researchers found.

The study – published in Acta Paediatricia – analysed data from 5,242 Canadian pupils aged 11 to 20 who were taking part in the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey.

Participants who spent at least 60 minutes on social media a day suffered more sleep issues than those who did not. The more time they spent on the apps and sites, the less sleep they got.

The study found social media use can derail sleep patterns  
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Overall 63 per cent of the students slept for less time than recommended, with almost three quarters (73 per cent) of students reporting that they used social media for at least one hour a day.

The study found that although female participants spent “significantly” more time using social media than males, the relationship between the use of social media and sleep duration did not differ by gender.

Senior author Dr Jean-Philippe Chaput of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute told the MailOnline: “We observed that social media use was associated with greater odds of short sleep duration in a dose-response manner.

“Importantly, significant associations were found when social media use exceeded one hour per day, suggesting that even this level of social media may be negatively associated with sleep duration.”

He added: “Electronic screen devices are pervasive in today's society and we are just starting to understand their risks and benefits.”

The NHS recommends children aged 11 to 16 should get between nine and nine-and-a-half hours of sleep a night.

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