Electronic Gadget Screen-time, Perceived Sleep Quality & Quantity and Academic Performance in Medical Students

Exposure to blue light has been found to affect sleep. Reduced sleep has been found to affect academic performance. However, electronic gadget screen time, sleep quality and quantity and academic performance in undergraduate medical students has not been explored so far. The primary objective of this study was to explore Electronic Gadget Screen time, sleep quality, and sleep quantity and academic performance in Medical students.

The study was done in JSS Medical College, Mysuru. 400 students fromunder graduate course were selected through clustered random sampling. Data of electronic gadget usage was collected using a pre-tested proforma. Data of sleep quality, quantity was collected using Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index. Data of academic performance was collected from the marks sheet provided by the college authorities.

Average screen time overall was 5.13 hours per day. On the whole, total Screen time does not have a direct relationship with sleep quantity or quality or academic performance. Rather than the total screen time, bed time gadget use seems to have a more significant relationship with academic performance. A non-significant relationship has been identified between screen time and quality of sleep with a p value= 0.2. Higher academic performance correlated with better sleep quality and better global PSQI scores.

Bed time screen exposure plays a significant role in determining sleep quality, quantity and in turn academic performance.