01/15/2026
What is Doomscrolling and why is it bad for your sleep quality?
📵 WHAT IS IT: Doomscrolling means spending excessive time compulsively consuming negative news and upsetting content online, often leading to increased anxiety, sadness, or fear
😴 WHY BAD FOR SLEEP: Doomscrolling is very bad for sleep, causing difficulty falling asleep, restlessness, and poor quality rest by stimulating the brain with negative news and releasing stress hormones like cortisol, while blue light from screens suppresses melatonin, disrupting your body's natural sleep signals and leading to anxiety, insomnia, and mental fatigue.
🛏️ Why Doomscrolling Wrecks Sleep
☑️ Mental Stimulation: Negative, emotionally charged content keeps your brain in "alert" mode, preventing it from winding down for sleep.
☑️ Stress Hormones: It triggers cortisol and adrenaline, preparing your body for a threat, not rest, leading to mental and physical tension.
☑️ Melatonin Suppression: The blue light from devices blocks melatonin, the hormone that signals sleep, confusing your brain into thinking it's still daytime.
☑️ Anxiety Loop: Worsening anxiety from the news leads to more scrolling, creating a cycle that directly harms sleep quality and mental well-being.
Consequences for Sleep
☑️ Difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep.
☑️ Increased restlessness and nighttime arousal.
☑️ Reduced deep sleep and overall sleep quality.
☑️ Worse next-day mood and concentration.
More info: https://www.pcicenters.com/doomscrolling-affects-mood-sleep-stress/