The role of shifted television viewing on earlier bedtimes in the streaming era

Abstract

Objectives

To investigate the extent to which changes in the timing of television viewership explained shifts in bedtimes between 2003 and 2019, a period in which several major video streaming services began operation.

Methods

We used time diaries from U.S. adults in the American Time Use Survey (N = 196,569) to examine changes in the timing of bedtimes and television viewership, disaggregated by age. We used mediation analysis to identify the extent to which changes in evening viewership timing explained recent shifts in bedtime.

Results

From 2003 to 2019, both bedtimes and cessation of evening television viewing shifted earlier among adults under age 65. When adjusting for work hours, sociodemographic characteristics, and interview timing, these adults stopped watching evening television 10–30 min earlier in 2019 relative to 2003. The largest television shift was observed among 18-29-year-olds on weekdays, who stopped watching at 10:12 p.m. in 2003 and 9:42 p.m. in 2019. The shift in viewership timing accounted for nearly 45 % of the shift to earlier bedtimes on weekdays and 49 % on weekends/holidays over this period.

Conclusions

Among adults under age 65, findings show that earlier television viewing cessation statistically accounted for earlier bedtimes observed in the streaming era. Although we are unable to directly link changes in streaming to bedtimes, observed shifts in television viewing suggest streaming may allow people to schedule viewing at times that avoid conflict with sleep. Further, attempts to understand television viewing habits and shifting time use offer important social insights into sleep health.