Physical activity maintained a significant negative association with insomnia scores in adolescents, with anxiety and short video addiction serving as chain mediators accounting for 42.28% of the shared variance between physical activity and insomnia.
Physical activity had a significant negative direct association with insomnia scores in adolescents.
Anxiety independently mediated the relationship between physical activity and insomnia, accounting for the largest indirect pathway.
Short video addiction independently mediated the relationship between physical activity and insomnia.
A statistically significant chain mediation pathway existed through both anxiety and short video addiction sequentially.
The hypothesized chain mediation model fit the data better than alternative causal configurations.
The total effect of physical activity on insomnia was decomposed into one direct and three indirect pathways.
The study sample comprised 2,144 adolescents recruited from five Chinese provinces using a cross-sectional design.
This research suggests that among Chinese teenagers, being more physically active is associated with fewer sleep problems (insomnia). The study surveyed over 2,100 adolescents aged around 15 years and found that physical activity was linked to better sleep both directly and indirectly — meaning part of the benefit worked through reducing anxiety and reducing addiction to short video content (such as short-form social media videos). About 58% of the connection between physical activity and better sleep was direct, while the remaining 42% worked through these psychological and behavioral pathways. The study found that anxiety was the most important intermediary factor, accounting for nearly 30% of the link between physical activity and sleep quality. Short video addiction accounted for about 9%, and a chain where physical activity reduced anxiety, which in turn reduced short video addiction, which then improved sleep, accounted for an additional 4%. This suggests that exercise may help teenagers sleep better partly by lowering their anxiety levels and reducing their tendency to spend excessive time on short video platforms, particularly before bed. Because this was a cross-sectional study (a snapshot in time), the researchers caution that definitive cause-and-effect conclusions cannot be drawn. However, these findings suggest that programs promoting physical activity in adolescents might benefit sleep health through multiple pathways, and that sleep screening and intervention frameworks for teenagers could consider incorporating structured exercise alongside strategies to address anxiety and screen time habits.
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Upload Your LabsLi Y, Wang J, Wang Y, Wang C, Liang Z, Liu Y. (2026). Physical activity and insomnia in adolescents: the chain mediating role of anxiety and short video addiction.. Scientific reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-69547-7