FOMO Predicts Bedtime Procrastination and Poorer Sleep Quality via Rumination

Objectives: Bedtime procrastination is linked to compromised sleep quality and is an increasingly common phenomenon affecting sleep and well-being among young adults. Although research effort has been devoted to studying the predictors of bedtime procrastination, fear of missing out (FOMO), which is an emotion common among young adults, is rarely studied. Therefore, in the present study, we examined a hypothesized serial mediation model. The model hypothesized that FOMO would predict bedtime procrastination via rumination, and that bedtime procrastination would subsequently predict poorer sleep quality. Methods: We recruited 213 participants (aged between 17 and 30) to complete a series of questionnaires that measured FOMO, bedtime procrastination, sleep quality, and rumination. We performed conditional process analyses with SPSS PROCESS Macro (Model 6) to test the hypothesized model. Results: We found support for the hypothesis, where FOMO predicted rumination, which in turn, predicted bedtime procrastination and subsequently poor sleep quality. Conclusion: The findings shed light on the underlying mechanism and sleep-related outcome of the association between FOMO and bedtime procrastination. They provided the foundation for further research to develop interventions targeted at reducing bedtime procrastination and improving sleep quality.