The impact of loneliness on sleep quality in adolescents: a moderated chain mediation model (Yang et al., 2024)

Loneliness throughout adolescence can have a serious negative influence on one’s mental and physical health. Adolescence is an important time for social and emotional development. Recent studies investigating the relationship between loneliness and poor sleep quality in teenagers discovered a significant correlation between higher loneliness and poorer sleep quality. According to the study, social withdrawal and nonadaptive behaviors aggravate sleep disturbances, which may result from loneliness.

The results showed that lonely adolescents frequently have negative thoughts and are more sensitive to external criticism, which may trigger sleep issues. They become more sensitive to perceived threats as a result of this emotional strain, which increases anxiety and disrupts their sleep cycles. The study also showed how unhealthy peer interactions may increase loneliness, which causes sleep issues.

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Furthermore, the study found that rumination and excessive social media use impairing sleep are linked to loneliness. Adolescents who use social media often tend to overthink, which worsens their sleep problems. Self-compassion or having a kind attitude toward oneself can reduce these effects. Adolescents with higher self-compassion were less impacted by loneliness and its negative effects on sleep quality than those with lower self-compassion.

This research is important because of what it means for mental health interventions. Adolescents can enhance their sleep quality and effectively manage loneliness by cultivating self-compassion and healthy social connections. This study emphasizes how important it is to support young people in developing healthy coping strategies to combat loneliness and its detrimental effects on their overall well-being.

Adolescents with higher self-compassion were less impacted by loneliness and its negative effects on sleep quality than those with lower self-compassion.

Ritika Kureel

Ritika Kureel holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Amity University, Uttar Pradesh, India. With a passion for understanding the complexities of the human mind, she is dedicated to applying her skills to support mental well-being. Ritika currently serves as a counselor in an organization that collaborates with Teach for India, where she helps guide young minds toward better emotional health. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, which brings her joy and balance.

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