The complex association between bedtime screen use and adult sleep health

Objectives

To evaluate whether bedtime screen use is associated with sleep health and if this association varies by biological sex, age, and income among adults in Canada.

Methods

Data were collected through a national stratified random population-based phone interview on sleep health among adults (≥18 years) from Canada. Self-reported bedtime screen use (in bed or within 1 hour of bedtime) of the past month was used to classify participants into three groups: occasional (<once/week), moderate (1-4 times/week), and regular (≥5 times/week) bedtime screen users. Sleep health (regularity, satisfaction, alertness, timing, efficiency, duration) was measured using the RU-SATED questionnaire. Post-stratified survey weights were computed from the 2021 Canadian census to ensure representativeness of the adult population in terms of geography, biological sex, age, and ethnicity.

Results

The sample included 1342 adults (51.5% females; 41.7% between 40-64 years) and 45.3% reported bedtime screen use every day. After accounting for biological sex, age, and income, both occasional and regular screen users reported the best overall sleep health. Results varied by sleep health dimension and biological sex was a moderator of the bedtime screen use and sleep regularity association. Bedtime screen use frequency was significantly associated (p = .01) with sleep regularity only among males.

Conclusions

The association between bedtime screen use and sleep health appears complex as bedtime screen use frequency, the sleep health dimension measured, and biological sex can all influence this relationship. More research is needed to understand the sleep health and bedtime screen use association and moderators of this relationship in adults.