PROBLEMATIC SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND SLEEP QUALITY AMONG UK ADULTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY USING THE BERGEN SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION SCALE AND THE PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX

Abstract

Background: Poor sleep quality is an escalating public health concern in the United Kingdom, and the rapid integration of social media into everyday life has raised concern about its contribution to sleep disruption. Existing evidence is conceptually and methodologically inconsistent, often relying on simple exposure-based metrics and adolescent samples. Objective: This study examined the association between problematic social media use and sleep quality among UK adults using validated, multidimensional instruments. Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional online survey was administered to UK residents aged 18 years and older. Problematic social media use was measured with the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) and sleep quality with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Following data cleaning, 121 valid responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, an independent-samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA. Results: Problematic social media use correlated significantly with poorer sleep quality (r = .409, p < .001) and remained the strongest independent predictor of PSQI scores after adjusting for sociodemographic covariates (β = .438, p < .001); the regression model explained 49.8% of the variance (R² = .498). Sleep quality also varied significantly by gender, marital status, living arrangement, employment status, and night-shift work. Both instruments demonstrated good internal consistency (BSMAS α = .866; PSQI α = .785). Conclusion: Problematic social media use is a significant, modifiable correlate of poor sleep quality among UK adults. The findings support behavioural-addiction and biopsychosocial models of sleep health and point to a need for digital-wellness interventions and longitudinal research.