Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and Sleep Disturbances Amongst Young Adults: A Correlational Study

Abstract

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is a psychological state involving anxiety regarding the loss of social experiences and interactions, typically driven by excessive social media consumption. At the same time, sleep disorders have become widespread among young adults, heavily influencing their mental and physical health. The goal of this study was to explore the connection among FOMO and sleep disorders in young adults in Jaipur, India. It was predicted that FOMO and sleep quality would be significantly correlated. Participants in the study were 100 young adults of age range 18 to 25 (50 men and 50 women). “The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)” was utilized to assess sleep quality, while the “Fear of Missing Out Scale (FOMOs)” was employed to evaluate the extent of FOMO. To explore the connection between FOMO and problems with sleep, a correlational study method was used. The results indicated a substantial positive relationship (r = 0.34, p = 0.001) between FOMO and sleep disturbances, which indicated that participants with greater FOMO had poorer quality sleep. The average FOMO score was 21.45 (SD = 6.50), and the average PSQI score was 6.80 (SD = 3.15), which shows that a significant majority of the sample had difficulty sleeping. The findings support the hypothesis and align with previous studies indicating that high levels of social media engagement at night and heightened cognitive stimulation prior to sleep result in poor sleep quality. The implications of the study point to interventions for digital mindfulness and good sleep hygiene to prevent FOMO-induced sleep disruptions in young adults.