The association of smartphone usage with subjective sleep quality and daytime sleepiness among medical students

ABSTRACT

About a third of adults have sleep problems, while in the student population this number is much higher due to a specific lifestyle. It has been shown that the use of devices with light-emitting diode screens before sleep adversely affects sleep, sleeping and circadian rhythm in respondents. The aim of this study was to assess subjective sleep quality and level of daytime sleepiness among medical students, as well as the correlation of these parameters with the smartphone usage time. Smartphone usage time was determined using the Android Application Quality Time. A statistically significant and strong positive (r = 0.613) correlation between subjective sleep quality and the use of mobile phones has been determined. By correlation analysis of daytime sleepiness and the use of mobile phones, it was found that there was a medium strong negative (r = -0.23) correlation between these parameters, which was not statistically significant. The results of this study have shown that the subjective quality of sleep is significantly impaired and of poor quality; and a significant correlation between the use of mobile phones and the quality of sleep has been demonstrated.

KEYWORDS:

• Mobile phone
• circadian rhythm
• usage time
• PSQI
• ESS

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technological Development, Republic of Serbia [grants 43012 and 172061].