‘This is the last episode’: the association between problematic binge‐watching and loneliness, emotion regulation, and sleep‐related factors in poor sleepers

Abstract

Evidence on the relation between binge-watching and sleep quality is still scarce and inconsistent and none has taken into account both the healthy and pathological dimensions of the phenomenon. This study aimed at filling this gap by investigating both aspects in healthy participants with high and low sleep quality. Further, we aimed at identifying sociodemographic, psychological and sleep-related determinants of problematic binge-watching in poor sleepers. We first conducted independent comparisons between good (n = 253) and poor sleepers (n = 209) on different bingewatching symptoms and motives, assessed through 'Binge-watching Engagement and Symptoms' and 'Watching TV Series Motives' questionnaires, respectively.Then, we focused on the problematic aspects of binge-watching in poor sleepers, investigating the role of emotion regulation, loneliness, and sleep-related factors using hierarchical multiple regressions. Comparisons between the two groups revealed a greater extent of binge-watching behaviour (t = À2.80, p = 0.005) and greater use of this practise to cope with negative emotions (t = À4.17, p < 0.001) in poor sleepers. In addition, hierarchical multiple regressions showed that gender (β = À0.166, p = 0.008), alcohol consumption (β = À0.135, p = 0.035), emotional dysregulation (β = 0.260, p = 0.001; β = 0.298, p < 0.001), feelings of loneliness (β = 0.159, p = 0.029; β = 0.199, p = 0.003), and daytime sleepiness (β = 0.149, p = 0.016) are significant determinants of problematic binge-watching in this population. In addition to showing for the first time the relationship between sleep quality and different aspects of binge-watching, our findings indicate that emotional dysregulation, feelings of loneliness, and daytime sleepiness play a key role in determining problematic binge-watching in poor sleepers, possibly due to the existence of a pathological vicious circle between these factors in poor sleepers.

Examining bedtime procrastination, study engagement, and studyholism in undergraduate students, and their association with insomnia

“…Indeed, previous studies have linked a higher prevalence of insomnia with the female gender and being single ( Morin et al, 2011 ; Jung and Lee, 2016 ; Duran and Kaynak, 2022 ; Tsou, 2022 ). Additionally, poor sleep quality is associated with gender and emotional regulation ( Alfonsi et al, 2022 ). Lifestyle can also impact sleep patterns and habits ( Shochat, 2012 ).…”

“…Furthermore, a higher level of studyholism was reported in females, which could be attributed to the fact that females exhibit higher levels of perfectionism in university performance ( Haase et al, 2013 ). Another contributing factor is that emotional dysregulation has been reported to be relevant to other types of addiction behavior, such as binge-watching behavior ( Alfonsi et al, 2022 ) and problematic internet use ( Usubini et al, 2022 ).…”

Exploring Addictive Online Behaviors in Patients with Narcolepsy Type 1

“…Therefore, NT1 patients may have coping mechanisms that alter emotional experiences to avoid cataplexy. Furthermore, sleep and emotion regulation have a bidirectional relationship [ 70 ], and poor sleep quality is associated with difficulties in emotion regulation and affective dysfunction [ 71 , 72 , 73 ]. Notably, disturbed nighttime sleep is a crucial feature of narcolepsy [ 74 ] that might negatively affect emotion regulation processes [ 51 ].…”

The Interplay between Binge Watching and Suicide Risk: Daytime Sleepiness and Maladaptive Daydreaming as Mediators

“…As a result, people may experience themselves as tired and exhausted, which affects their everyday life. According to Alfonsi et al (2023), problematic binge watching and daytime sleepiness are connected to a variety of factors that may impact and exacerbate both, creating a vicious cycle. Specifically, they observed that poor sleepers were more likely to binge watch to cope with negative sensations.…”