The interplay between social media use, poor sleep, and disordered eating: a narrative review

Emerging evidence suggests a complex, potentially reciprocal relationship between social media use, poor sleep, and disordered eating, each associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes. This mini-narrative review synthesizes recent findings on the bidirectional links between: 1) poor sleep and disordered eating, 2) social media use and poor sleep, and 3) social media use and disordered eating. It also explores their combined interplay and outlines possible underlying mechanisms across biological, psychological, and sociocultural domains. Despite some novel findings, the temporal and reciprocal nature of their relationships remains underexplored and requires further empirical research. This review highlights the urgent need for prospective, ecologically valid research that addresses these domains and interconnections, particularly among youth and emerging adults who may be particularly vulnerable to their cumulative effects. A deeper understanding of this interplay may be critical for advancing preventive and therapeutic efforts and developing transdiagnostic clinical strategies and public health guidelines that reflect the integrated nature of digital engagement, sleep health, and appearance and eating-related stimuli.