Internet Use and Sleep Health among Empty-Nest Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study Based on the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey

Background With the rapid growth of the empty-nest older adults in China, increasing attention has been paid to their health status, particularly sleep health as an important component of overall well-being. Alongside ongoing digitalisation, Internet use among older adults has become increasingly widespread. However, empirical evidence on the association between Internet use and sleep health among empty-nest older adults remains limited. This study aims to examine the association between Internet use and sleep health in this population. Methods Data were drawn from the 2020 and 2023 waves of the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS), including 6,894 empty-nest older adults. Two-way fixed-effects regression models were used to estimate the association between Internet use and sleep health while controlling for unobserved time-invariant individual characteristics and common period effects. Further analyses explored heterogeneity by age group and residential setting and distinguished between different functional types of Internet use to examine their differential associations with sleep health. Results Internet use was significantly and positively associated with better sleep health among empty-nest older adults. Compared with non-users, those who used the Internet reported higher levels of sleep health. Notable age-related heterogeneity was observed. Among younger and middle-aged empty-nest older adults, daily Internet use showed a stronger positive association with sleep health, whereas among the oldest-old, frequent but non-daily use was more strongly associated with improved sleep health. The positive association between Internet use and sleep health was broadly consistent across residential contexts. When disaggregated by functional type, only information entertainment type was significantly associated with better sleep health, whereas social interaction and tool founction types showed no significant associations. Conclusions Internet use is positively associated with sleep health among empty-nest older adults in China, although this association varies by age and by the type of online activity. These findings suggest that the health implications of digital engagement in later life depend not only on access and frequency but also on usage patterns and living arrangements. Promoting age-appropriate and purposeful internet use may represent a feasible strategy for improving sleep health and overall well-being among empty-nest older adults in rapidly ageing societies.