Read this article published by Sciences Humaines.

Every evening, Fabrice, 34, indulges in what has become a ritual: he feverishly logs on, answers his e-mails, addresses others, surfs his social networks, visits his many favorite sites. His eyes leap from one image to another for hours on end. And as with every connection, time seems to stand still…

The Internet is bound to lead to cyberaddictions among its users. The warning signs are manifold: recurring feelings of lack when offline, relief when connected, uncontrolled and prolonged use of the Internet… An all-consuming passion for the Net can really develop in the Internet user, to the point of disturbing his sleep.

According to a recent study, cyberaddicts are prone to a variety of sleep disorders: difficulty falling asleep, night-time awakenings, insomnia and reduced sleep time. What’s more, by prolonging their evenings to the detriment of their sleep, these addicts develop a growing « debt » of rest, leading to nervousness, irritability and loss of appetite during the day. Last but not least, some unemployed addicts and students, who don’t always have to wake up early in the morning, may suffer from sleep-wake phase delay syndrome. Their desire to sleep then shifts, to the point of occurring late in the night or early in the morning.

How do specialists explain the emergence of these disorders? According to chronopsychologists, surfing the Web excites the user psychologically and delays the onset of sleep. This is because the brightness of the screen inhibits the secretion of melatonin, the key hormone regulating sleep rhythms, to the point of desynchronizing the biological rhythms of individuals connected to the Web.

Michel Lejoyeux and Marie-Pia d’Ortho, « Sleep disorders in Internet addiction », Médecine du sommeil, vol. VIII, n° 4, October-December 2011.