Longitudinal associations between appearance‐related social media consciousness and sleep in U.S. middle schoolers

Social media use has been linked to poorer sleep outcomes in adolescents, yet the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. Appearance‐related social media consciousness (ASMC)—a preoccupation with one's appearance online—could relate to offline behaviors, including sleep. This study examined the association between ASMC and various sleep behaviors using a parallel mediation structural equation model. Participants were 1158 U.S. 8th‐grade students ( M age = 13.14, 52% girls, 36% Hispanic/Latine, 37% qualified for free or reduced‐price lunch) surveyed at two points across an academic year. Higher ASMC was indirectly associated with poorer sleep quality, increased sleep disturbances, and longer sleep onset latency through greater compulsive nighttime social media use. Additionally, higher ASMC was indirectly associated with earlier sleep onset times through longer morning routine durations. Findings suggest that appearance‐related experiences on social media have implications for adolescent sleep health and provide preliminary support for some pathways through which its effects may occur.