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How resilient people balance media use and sleep

This research project examines how psychologically resilient individuals develop adaptive media-use strategies that foster well-being, recovery, and sleep quality in a digitized society. While much of the existing scientific discourse emphasizes the negative consequences of digital life, such as mental and emotional overload, addiction, and sleep disturbances, this project shifts the focus toward understanding how individuals can effectively “bounce back” from these challenges and thrive within a mediated environment.

Aims

The project aims to identify specific media-use strategies, particularly in the hours before sleep and during the night, that enable adaptive functioning and promote recovery. By examining constructive coping mechanisms, the research seeks to deepen our understanding of ‘digital resilience’ and to clarify the conditions under which individuals can flourish in a mediated environment. Based on these findings, the collaborators intend to develop evidence-based, practical recommendations for the broader population to strengthen resilience, encourage healthy digital habits, and support good sleep.

Methodologies

The project adopts an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together researchers from communication science and psychology. Both quantitative and qualitative methods will be applied.

The research includes in-depth interviews and a sleep laboratory study (using polysomnography and collection of dream reports) to investigate digital evening routines and sleep experiences among individuals with varying levels of psychological resilience. A large-scale survey will be conducted to quantify the initial findings. Finally, a field study is planned to examine the effects of the identified coping strategies on well-being and sleep.

The project collaborates with stakeholders such as “Netzwerk Schlaf Schweiz” to ensure that scientific insights are translated into practical applications and public health recommendations.