Just One More Episode: Predictors of Procrastination with Television and Implications for Sleep Quality

Abstract

Sleep experts have raised concern over the effects of electronic media use on sleep. To date, few studies have looked beyond the effects of duration and frequency of media exposure or examined the underlying mechanisms of this association. As procrastinatory media use has been related to lower well-being, we used data from two survey studies (N₁ = 821, N₂ = 584) to investigate (a) predictors of procrastinatory TV viewing and (b) the link between procrastinatory TV viewing and sleep quality. Findings from both studies indicate that those with a stronger viewing habit, higher TV involvement, and an eveningness preference reported more procrastinatory TV viewing. Procrastinatory TV viewing was related to subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, and daytime dysfunction. This association was fully mediated by perceived stress. As sleep is key for the replenishment of self-control, procrastinators may be setting themselves up to fail at self-regulating, a situation exacerbated by the omnipresence of media in today’s society.

Supplementary Material

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Notes

¹ In addition to the data presented here, the survey also assessed additional variables addressing the role of media use on bedtime procrastination. The respective findings are published in Exelmans and Van Den Bulck (2017). As a pooled data collection was conducted for both studies, the Methods sections of both publications show strong similarities. Besides this methodological overlap, however, both articles address significantly different research topics and make independent contributions to the literature.

² We verified a subsample of the data collected by each interviewer and checked for impossible or implausible values across the data set with the paper questionnaires. Remaining missing values represent a respondent who did not wish to answer a particular question.

³ In addition to the data presented here, the survey also assessed additional variables addressing the effects of in-bed media use on sleep latency. The respective findings are published in in Exelmans, Gradisar, and Van Den Bulck (2018). As a pooled data collection was conducted for both studies, the Methods sections of both publications show strong similarities. Besides this methodological overlap, however, both articles address significantly different research topics and make independent contributions to the literature.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Liese Exelmans

Liese Exelmans (Ph.D., KU Leuven, 2018) is a post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Communication and Media at the University of Michigan. Her research interests include why people so often struggle with time-managing their media use, and how this is related to well-being outcomes, and in particular sleep.

Adrian Meier

Adrian Meier (M.A., Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 2015) is a Ph.D. student and research assistant in the Department of Communication at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. His research interests include the uses and effects of media and communication technologies for mental health and well-being, specifically through the lens of self-regulation theories.

Leonard Reinecke

Leonard Reinecke (Ph.D., University of Hamburg, 2010) is an associate professor of media psychology in the Department of Communication at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany. His research interests include media uses and effects, media entertainment, and online communication with a special focus on the interplay of media use, self-control, and psychological well‐being.

Jan Van Den Bulck

Jan Van Den Bulck (Ph.D., KU Leuven, 1996) is a professor of media psychology in the Department of Communication and Media at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). His research interests include unintended media effects and he has been focusing on media and sleep in recent years.