Bye Bye TikTok, Hello Sleep

I so badly wanted to be above the TikTok wave. Despite hearing friends talk about a new and cool trend every other week, I refused to download the app for months. Suddenly, quarantine 2020 hit, and I caved. That’s where my addiction began. The app now holds my eyes captive for hours, along with millions of others across the globe (I justify my addiction by knowing they struggle too). Being a working college student, as much as I want to sit on my a** and scroll through TikTok, there is simply no time to do so, at least during the day. For me, the primetime to be on TikTok is right before bed after a long stressful day; that’s how I like to decompress (I’m seriously exposing myself). Let me justify my addiction once more: A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM!

Out of curiosity, I conducted a questionnaire via Instagram in which I asked my followers, “Approximately how much time do you spend on TikTok before bed?” The answers proved my previous statement: A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM! Out of fifty-four responses, seven people were in the ten to twenty-minute range, eleven stated they spend thirty to forty-five minutes on the app, a colossal twenty-four people fell into the one to two-hour span, and twelve people said they spend more than two hours on TikTok. This issue is clearly problematic, but at least I'm not challenged with the addiction alone!

Numerous studies have proven that social media, and electronics in general, disrupt our sleep schedules. An article published in Chapin Chronicle even suggested, “Blue light from screens also suppresses melatonin, the chemical that helps your brain relax and fall asleep, for twice as long as other light sources. While any light at night seems to disrupt the circadian rhythm and suppress melatonin, blue light seems to be the worst, causing longer sleep delay and longer-lasting effects.” After reading this, I was able to do some self-reflection. Is the reason I’m so tired and laggy all day because I spend too much time on TikTok at night? Crap, is the blue light getting to my brain? It turns out, no, it’s not just the blue light disrupting my sleep pattern. In January, Metro Co UK reported on a recent study asserting that social media platforms like TikTok “encourage the release of adrenaline and dopamine, giving us energy and a ‘happy’ feeling,” which is not the best emotion to have right before sleepy time.

Although I already knew the answer to my pathetic question of whether TikTok was to blame for my exhaustion, I thought it would be interesting to see the differences firsthand, with and without endless scrolling. Using the iPhone health analytics, I was able to see the amount of sleep I was getting when using TikTok before bed vs. having the app deleted. Looking at my average sleep time before deleting the app genuinely frightens me. To be frank, I am completely confused as to how I properly functioned. As seen in the screenshot below, my sleep schedule was highly irregular, and my body did not have the proper rest it needed. Every time I woke up in the middle of the night, I would get voluntarily sucked into TikTok instead of trying to fall back asleep like a normal person.

Health data before deleting TikTok, Image Courtesy: Health App Account

I previously mentioned that I tend to feel weary as each day goes on. I’ve noticed that since deleting the app, I’ve fallen asleep much earlier and slept longer. I can now genuinely focus throughout the day due to sufficient sleep, and my work ethic has significantly improved, even though it’s only been a short period of time. For the past few days, I haven’t relied on caffeine to give me the energy that I once desperately needed, which is new for me. In comparing both sets of data from the Health app, it becomes evident that since deleting TikTok, my length of sleep has been much more consistent.

Health data after deleting TikTok, Image Courtesy: Health App Account

Falling asleep earlier has me waking up completely restored and ready to conquer every new day. I’m on my hot girl sh*t. If I want to continue this new “it girl” vibe, TikTok is not allowed to be in the picture—at least before going to sleep.

Strike Out,

Lili Jahromi

Boca Raton

Lili Jahromi is a Content Writer for Strike Magazine FAU. She spends an unnecessary amount of her time idolizing Lady Gaga, sharing intimate moments with her friends, and beachin’ it with her b*tches. You can reach her at jahromilrose@yahoo.com

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