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Smartphone usage in adolescents – motives and link to sleep disturbances, stress and sleep reactivity

Smartphone-Nutzung bei Jugendlichen – Motive und Zusammenhang mit Schlafproblemen, Stress und Schlafreaktivität

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Abstract

Background

Using a smartphone in bed (SPiB) before going to sleep is associated with sleep problems; however, it remains unclear whether it is not the duration but rather the individual motives behind the usage that cause the problems. This was studied in late adolescents.

Materials and methods

A total of 201 participants aged 16–21 years were questioned about their sleep and stress as well as their smartphone usage habits in bed and the reasons for this use. The Motives of Smartphone Usage Scale (MSPUS) was developed to measure motives behind phone use such as “use for entertainment”, “avoidance of worries”, “sleep aid” and “fear of missing out (FoMO)”. Sleep was analysed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Insomnia Questionnaire for Adults (IQA), and other parameters; stress was assessed with the Ford Insomnia Response to Stress Test (FIRST). Multiple regression analyses were used to examine the association between the motives of usage, duration of SPiB and sleep parameters. Correlations with stress and differences in sleep reactivity were examined.

Results

The usage motives “entertainment”, “FoMO” and “avoiding worries” predicted a longer smartphone usage duration (SPiB-d). Sleep problems were associated with longer use in general, particularly to avoid worries, but less with use for entertainment. Adolescents with high sleep reactivity did not use their phone longer, but more often because of FoMO and to avoid worrying.

Conclusion

What becomes clear is that smartphone use duration is not the main sleep-disruptive factor. Adolescents with sleep difficulties and stress seem to suppress worries and rumination by using their smartphone in bed. This problem-avoidant use behaviour should be considered in intervention approaches and, correspondingly, active problem-solving behaviour should be trained.

Zusammenfassung

Hintergrund

Die Smartphone-Nutzung im Bett (SPiB) vor dem Schlafen steht mit Schlafproblemen in Verbindung. Dennoch bleibt offen, ob nicht die Dauer, sondern die individuellen Nutzungsmotive die Problematik bedingen. Dies wurde bei Jugendlichen in der späten Adoleszenz untersucht.

Methodik

Es wurden 201 Teilnehmer im Alter von 16–21 Jahren zu Schlaf, Stress sowie Handynutzungsgewohnheiten und -begründungen befragt. Die Motives of Smartphone Usage Scale (MSPUS) wurde entwickelt, um die Nutzungsmotive „Nutzung zur Unterhaltung“, „Ablenkung von Sorgen“, „Einschlafhilfe“ und „fear of missing out“ (FoMO) zu erfassen. Schlaf wurde basierend auf dem Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), dem Insomnia Questionnaire for Adults (IQA) und anderen Parametern analysiert; der Faktor Stress wurde mithilfe des Ford Insomnia Response to Stress Test (FIRST) eruiert. Mittels multipler Regressionsanalysen wurde der Zusammenhang zwischen Nutzungsmotivation, Nutzungsdauer im Bett und Schlafparametern untersucht. Zusammenhänge mit Stress und Unterschiede in der Schlafreaktivität wurden betrachtet.

Ergebnisse

Mit einer längeren Smartphone-Nutzungsdauer im Bett (SPiB-d) sind die Nutzungsmotive „Unterhaltung“, FoMO und „Ablenkung von Sorgen“ verbunden. Schlafprobleme gehen mit einer tendenziell durchschnittlich längeren Nutzungsdauer und einer ausgeprägteren Nutzung zur Unterdrückung von Sorgen, jedoch weniger mit der Nutzung zu Unterhaltungszwecken einher. Jugendliche mit hoher Schlafreaktivität berichteten nicht, das Handy länger zu benutzen, jedoch mehr aufgrund von FoMO und um Sorgen zu vermeiden.

Schlussfolgerung

Diese Studie verdeutlicht, dass die alleinige Dauer der Handynutzung nicht der primäre schlafbeeinträchtigende Faktor ist. Jugendliche mit Schlafproblemen und Stress versuchen mittels des Smartphones im Bett Sorgen und Grübeln zu unterdrücken. Dieses problemvermeidende Nutzungsverhalten sollte in Interventionsansätzen berücksichtigt werden und entsprechend aktiv bewältigendes Problemverhalten geübt werden.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Clinical psychology and psychotherapy of children and adolescents, University of Bielefeld, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany

    M.-J. Kater M.Sc. & A. A. Schlarb

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  1. M.-J. Kater M.Sc.
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  2. A. A. Schlarb
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Correspondence to M.-J. Kater M.Sc..

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Conflict of interest

M.-J. Kater and A.A. Schlarb declare that they have no competing interests.

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible institutional ethics committee and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975 (in its most recently amended version). Informed consent was obtained from all patients included in the study.

Caption Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material 1 Motives of Smartphone Usage Scale (MSPUS)

11818_2020_272_MOESM2_ESM.docx

Supplementary material 2 Multiple regression analyses of the duration of smartphone usage in bed (SPiB-d) and sleep parameters adjusted for age, gender and individual stress level

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Kater, MJ., Schlarb, A.A. Smartphone usage in adolescents – motives and link to sleep disturbances, stress and sleep reactivity. Somnologie 24, 245–252 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-020-00272-7

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