The mediating effect of after-midnight use of digital media devices on the association of internet-related addictive behavior and insomnia in adolescents.

Background: There is evidence that overexposure to digital media devices (DMD) can not only lead to addictive patterns of internet use, but also cause insomnia symptoms. The aim of this cross-sectional study among adolescents is to provide an estimate of the prevalence of sleep impairments and to explore the mediating role of after-midnight use of DMD between internet-related addictive behavior (IRAB) and insomnia.

Methods: 2,712 school students from Styrian schools participated in a population-representative online survey in a supervised school setting in spring 2022.