The relationship between smartphone addiction and sleep quality in patients with epilepsy in the digital age

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between smartphone addiction, seizure frequency, and sleep quality in patients with epilepsy. A total of 78 consecutive patients who visited our epilepsy outpatient clinic between November 2022 and April 2023 and agreed to participate were enrolled, and their demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and the smartphone addiction scale - short version (SAS-SV) were administered. Seventy-eight patients with epilepsy (62.8% female, mean age 30.9 ± 8.3 years) were analyzed. Poor sleep quality (PSQI ≥ 5) was observed in 55.1% of participants. Smartphone addiction scores (SAS-SV) were significantly higher among patients with poor sleep quality (P < .001) and those with only primary school education (P = .028). A moderate positive correlation was found between SAS-SV and PSQI scores (R = 0.452, P < .001). In multivariable regression analyses adjusted for demographic and clinical factors, smartphone addiction remained an independent predictor of poor sleep quality (β = 0.083, 95% confidence interval: 0.042-0.123, P < .001). Moreover, ordinal logistic regression revealed that higher SAS-SV scores were independently associated with greater seizure frequency (odds ratio = 1.06, 95% confidence interval: 1.02-1.11, P = .005), while PSQI scores were not. Our findings demonstrate that smartphone addiction is independently associated with both poor sleep quality and greater seizure frequency in patients with epilepsy. These results highlight the importance of assessing digital media use in epilepsy management. Screening for problematic smartphone use and providing interventions such as digital hygiene education and sleep counseling may contribute to improved seizure control and overall quality of life.