Sleepless and scrolling: How sleep disturbances predict compulsive internet use among adolescents

Objective This study examined whether specific sleep disturbances, such as very poor subjective sleep quality, deliberate sleep reduction for internet use, shorter sleep duration, and daytime napping, predict compulsive internet use among Moroccan high school students beyond overall screen time and media use patterns. Method A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 334 adolescents (48 % male; ages 14–18) in Casablanca. Compulsive internet use was assessed using the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS). Sleep-related variables were measured via four dichotomous items. Latent class analyses summarized weekly screen time and media type engagement into covariates. Multiple linear regression and Bayesian model averaging were used to test associations while controlling for age, sex, and media use classes. Results Adolescents who reported very poor sleep or deliberately reducing sleep for internet use had significantly higher CIUS scores. Sleeping more than 6 hours provided modest protection in frequentist models, though Bayesian evidence was weak. Daytime napping was not reliably associated with CIUS. Sleep variables remained associated with CIUS scores even after adjusting for age, sex, and latent classes of media use. Female adolescents reported higher CIUS scores than males. Conclusion The findings suggest that specific sleep disruptions, rather than overall screen time, are associated with compulsive internet use among adolescents. This study adds cross-cultural data and indicates that enhancing sleep quality may be one potential target, among others, for efforts aiming to reduce problematic digital behaviors in youth.