Wired and not Tired? Internet Use and Sleep in Older Adults
- Post by: Alper Idrisoglu
- 26 January, 2026
- No Comment
Sarah Nauman Ghazi; Peter Anderberg; Johan Sanmartin Berglund
Abstract
Introduction: As digital engagement becomes integral to society, understanding the association between technology use and sleep health in older adults is important.
Objective: This study examined sleep health and its relationship with technology use before bedtime and midnight in a population-based cohort aged 60 years and older.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 436 older adults (2023) from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care, Blekinge (SNAC-B). Participants completed questionnaires on health status, sleep, internet use, screen use before bedtime (SUBB), and Midnight screen use (MSU). Sleep health was measured using the SATED instrument. Statistical analyses included chi2 tests, T-tests, and Linear regression.
Results: Older adults had a mean sleep health score of 7.40 (SD = 2.03). Internet users and those who use the internet frequently had significantly higher sleep health scores than non-users (p < 0.005). Daily SUBB was associated with a better sleep health score (7.70) compared to no SUBB (7.10). SUBB was positively associated with sleep health, with significant effects in both unadjusted (B = 0.64, p = 0.003) and adjusted models (B = 0.512, p = 0.013). MSU, however, showed a non-significant negative association in both unadjusted (B = -0.512, p = 0.258) and adjusted models (B = -0.678, p = 0.117). Health status was the strongest predictor across all models (B = 0.595, p < 0.001).
Conclusions: This study underscores the nuanced effects of technology use on sleep health among older adults, emphasizing the importance of health status. Further research is warranted to explore these relationships.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-13022-8_7