The Association between Insomnia & Porn Addiction

This study inquired about the potential association between insomnia and porn addiction across various sexual gender identities in Rhode Island Young Adults. Using data from the 2022 Rhode Island Young Adult Survey, 1,022 young adults aged 18-25 who live in Rhode Island—for at least a part of the year, were successfully recruited. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the relationship between insomnia and porn addiction. An interaction term between sex/gender identity (cisgender heterosexual males; cisgender heterosexual females; sexual and gender minorities) and insomnia was added to the model to assess potential moderation. Results from the study show that young adults with insomnia, controlling for all confounders, had 2.51(95% CI: 1.53, 4.35) times the odds of porn addiction compared to those without insomnia. In conclusion, insomnia is associated with porn addiction among young adults, particularly among cisgender heterosexual males. Future research should run studies to determine if treating sleep related disorders, such as insomnia, may impact an individual’s use of pornographic material and potentially hone into potential pornographic reliance.