Sleep and mobile phone use habits: Effects of reflection and information behavioral interventions

Abstract

In this paper, we (i) map the mobile phone use and sleep habits of a representative sample of the Norwegian population; and (ii) investigate the effects of three different behavioral interventions (information, reflectionrelaxation-sleeping-techniques, and reflection-mobile phone-use-habits) to change mobile phone use and sleeping routines. In relation to mobile phone use and sleep habits, we find differences between the age groups when it comes to the reported causes of poor sleep. The results also show that the proportion of respondents who think that the mobile phone is addictive is the largest among the youngest respondents. In addition, it is the youngest respondents who find it most difficult to put away the mobile phone before bedtime. In relation to the behavioral interventions, we find no significant effects on the treatment groups on the outcome variables relative to the control group. This shows the need to consider other types of behavioral interventions, regulation, or restrictions to change sleep and mobile phone use habits.