The more time you spend scrolling Facebook, TikTok or Instagram, the greater the possibility of having unpleasant dreams, or even nightmares. These are defined as dreams about social media, such as cyberbullying, trolling, online hate, and cyberstalking, which are dominated by negative emotions. They are primarily characterised by themes of helplessness, loss of control, inhibition, victimisation, and making mistakes.
The study, which surveyed 595 Iranian adults on their use of social media, found that the most common nightmares involved the “inability to log in to social media and the disruption of relationships with other users.” Researchers noted the intensity of social media use predicted the frequency of social media-related nightmares. These nightmares were linked to “increased anxiety, lower peace of mind, poor sleep quality, and nightmare distress.
” This is similar to other nightmares associated with serious psychological problems, such as anxiety, depression or suicidal thoughts. “Social media-related nightmares have the potential to function as stressors, disrupting the sleep cycle of users and potentially causing awakenings during the night,” the study said. “Moreover, these nightmares may compromise the functionality of the sleep period, influencing processes such as the consolidation of information collected throughout the day.
“Consequently, the disruptions arising from social media-related nightmares could contribute to a lowered cognitive and a.