Insomnia and internet addiction: a longitudinal examination using random intercept cross-lagged panel modeling

The increasing prominence of insomnia and internet addiction among university students has raised significant concerns, as these conditions substantially impair physical and mental well-being as well as academic performance. Understanding the dynamic interplay between these phenomena is critical for developing effective interventions. The longitudinal study investigated the bidirectional relationship between insomnia and internet addiction among college students through data collected from 313 participants assessed at three time points, spaced six months apart. The study applied random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPM) to examine both between-person and within-person effects. At the between-person level, our findings revealed no significant correlation between insomnia and internet addiction. However, at the within-person level, a reciprocal predictive relationship was found: insomnia at one time point significantly predicted increased internet addiction at the next time point, and vice versa. These results highlighted the dynamic and mutually reinforcing interaction between insomnia and internet addiction over time, offering valuable insights into the processes underlying their co-occurrence. By using the RI-CLPM methodology, this study enhanced understanding of how fluctuations in insomnia and internet addiction occur at the individual level, moving beyond the understanding of them as trait-like phenomena. These results emphasized the importance of addressing both issues concurrently in interventions for college students.