Study points at 'vicious cycle' between poor sleep and online procrastination

Study points at 'vicious cycle' between poor sleep and online procrastination

A new study has found less time spent sleeping could result in more time procrastinating online

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It's commonly understood that extended screen time can inferfere with a good night's rest.


But a group of researchers now claim the opposite can also be true - where bad sleeping patterns could have a direct link to extended leisure time spent online.


A new study, published in the Plos One journal titled, Lack of sleep is associated with internet use for leisure, found those who struggled to get a good night's rest, tend to spend more than two hours online for leisure.


"Sleep-deprived subjects spent more time on the internet for leisure but not for study," the study reads.


This relates not only to the hours spent sleeping, but the quality of the rest as well.


"The poor sleep satisfaction group had a higher correlation with internet use for leisure even though they slept for a sufficient time," writes So Young Kim et al. "Thus, in addition to sleep time, sleep quality is also engaged in the relationship between sleep and internet use for leisure."


Conversely, those subjects who say they tend to have a good night's rest, spent more time online to study.


The authors then fitted the results to the 'ego depletion model' in which sleep is needed to recharge your regulation of thinking, emotions and actions.


"Lack of sleep may cause emotional problems, including depressive moods, confusion, anxiety, and fatigue," the study finds, citing previous research. "These negative moods can induce more internet use solely for leisure."


Given past research - that extensive internet surfing can lead to sleep depravation - the latest findings could suggest a continuous cycle.


"Taken together, vicious cycles between sleep deprivation and internet use for leisure can be presumed in which sleep time becomes physically shortened as more time is spent on the internet browsing," write the authors.


Not only does extensive browsing negatively affect sleep, but insufficient sleep, or poor quality sleep, also leads to extensive internet procrastination.

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