Electronic Media Use and Sleep: a Self-Control Perspective

Abstract

There has been an exponential increase in publications on the effects of electronic media use on sleep. One of the fundamental questions on this topic concerns the underlying mechanisms: how or why are electronic media affecting sleep? This article aims to refine the existing theoretical framework by considering the role of self-control. Prior research identifies self-control processes as part of the answer: we give in to the instant gratification of entertainment media at the cost of sleep. Specifically, media-related self-control failure is likely to (1) delay bedtime and reduce sleep duration and (2) trigger negative cognitive-affective responses that may undermine sleep quality. This article will review the relationships between self-control, media, and sleep and clarify how media challenge adequate self-control. It argues that a self-control perspective on media and sleep exposes complex media effect processes that warrant different research methods and open up new areas of intervention.