What is the relationship between social networking sites and nightmares?

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A new study revealed that browsing social media sites immediately before bed may increase the likelihood of having terrifying nightmares.

The research team believes that using phone apps before bed can increase levels of stress and anxiety, which have long been linked to sleep problems and nightmares.

The study included 595 Iranian adults who regularly use social networking sites. They were asked to fill out a 14-question questionnaire, called the Social Media Nightmare Scale (SMNS), to determine the type of nightmares and how frequently they occur.

“Participants were instructed to focus specifically on nightmares - those painful dreams that wake them from sleep - with the aim of catching nightmares rather than general bad dreams,” the study said.

The results showed that the most common nightmare was not being able to log in to social media platforms, followed by “disrupting relationships with other social media users.”

The study found that nightmares could be a result of stress from maintaining an online presence, cyberbullying, or hate.

The research team said that those who reported using social networking sites more frequently than others, and felt more emotionally connected to them, experienced nightmares related to social networking sites more often.

“The influence of social media extends beyond waking hours, and may affect our dreams,” said lead author of the study, Raza Shabhang, professor of psychology and social work at Flinders University in Australia. 

The researchers reported that the number of participants who suffered from nightmares related to social networking sites was rare, but the number increased as a result of excessive use of the “Instagram,” “X,” and “Facebook” platforms before sleep.

They said: “The use of social media is part of the daily routine of many people, which can sometimes lead to addiction. Social media use appears to be considered almost compulsory, to the extent that even excessive use is sometimes viewed as a form of Adaptive addiction.

The researchers advised people to take steps to limit the use of social sites, including keeping the phone out of the bedroom, limiting distractions and creating a comfortable, quiet space for sleeping.