TikTok revealed as worst app to use before sleep

We know we shouldn't use our phone in bed - but one app is more disruptive than others, a study has found. Photo / 123rf

We all know that checking our phone before going to sleep is a bad habit - but not all phone activity is equally bad.

A recent survey in the UK looked into how using different mobile apps before bed affects the quality of our sleep.

Sleep Junkie surveyed 2012 adults and found that one app in particular contributed to more sleep disruptions than others.

According to The Sun, the worst app to check before bed, the study found, is TikTok.

The survey found that 89 per cent of people who used TikTok before bed woke up feeling tired. By contrast, of the people who did not use any phone apps before sleep, only 24 per cent reported waking up feeling tired.

TikTok users surveyed also reported taking more than one hour longer than average to fall asleep and also spent less than half the recommended amount of time in the REM stage of sleep.

A survey found TikTok to disrupt sleep more than other apps. Photo / 123rf

According to Sleep Junkie, it is not advisable to use any electronic devices two hours before bedtime, due to the blue light these devices emit, which has been found to stimulate the brain and reduce the body's natural melatonin production.

"This past year people have been struggling to sleep more than ever, and with 78 per cent of adults admitting to partaking in revenge sleep procrastination, it's no surprise sleep hygiene has taken a hit," Dorothy Chambers, a sleep expert at Sleep Junkie, said, quoted by The Sun.

"There is a lot of information online around the best ways to fall asleep, but it seems that using social media apps is preventing many of us from getting the rest we need.

"We hope that our research provides more of an insight into some of our worst pre-sleep habits, and maybe encourages members of the public to put down their phone and quit scrolling so they can wake up feeling refreshed and energised."