1216 Public Depictions of Sleep Testing: Emotional Tone and Thematic Patterns on Social Media

Abstract Introduction Sleep studies involve extensive wiring, adhesives, and physiologic monitoring, creating a visually striking and unfamiliar medical experience. As patients increasingly share these encounters online, social media provides a unique opportunity to examine how individuals interpret and present a highly medicalized procedure in a public setting. Understanding the emotional and thematic content of these posts may shed light on how patients negotiate vulnerability, manage discomfort, and construct meaning around sleep testing. This study sought to characterize emotional tone, identify common thematic patterns, and assess whether emotional expression varied by testing modality or posting characteristics. Methods A retrospective content analysis of 862 posts tagged with the hashtag #sleepstudyselfie on Instagram was conducted. Posts were coded for tone (positive, neutral, mixed/ambivalent, negative), stated meaning, selfie composition, and modality (PSG, HSAT). Theme co-occurrence patterns were examined to identify clusters of emotional expression. Tone–characteristic associations were tested using Chi-square analyses with Cramér’s V. Multinomial logistic regression modeled tone as a four-level outcome, and a binary model evaluated predictors of negative tone. Posting year was extracted for temporal context. Results Among 516 included posts, mixed or ambivalent tone was most common (33%), reflecting humorous discomfort, mild frustration, and diagnostic curiosity. Captions frequently referenced wires, glue, or “cyborg-like” appearance, suggesting active negotiation of a medicalized body image. Positive and neutral tones each comprised 32%, while negative tone remained uncommon (6%). Theme co-occurrence showed strong clustering among curiosity, frustration, anxiety, and humor (up to 16 co-occurrences), indicating that emotional expression was rarely singular. Emotional tone did not significantly differ by modality (p=0.267, V=0.084) or posting meaning (p=0.166, V=0.090). Regression models demonstrated limited explanatory value (pseudo-R² ≤ 0.032). Conclusion Online portrayals of sleep testing reveal a distinctive emotional signature: patients experience the sleep study as a complex, layered event shaped by intertwined curiosity, humor, burden, and mild anxiety rather than overt positivity or negativity. Emotional tone was independent of modality and posting structure, suggesting that reactions arise from the inherent nature of the procedure. Social media provides a space where patients reframe an intrusive, equipment-heavy experience through mixed emotional expression. Support (if any)