A Study to Assess the Association of Duration of Smartphone Use with Sleep Quality and Cognitive Functioning in Undergraduate Medical Students

Purpose: This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence and effects of smartphone usage patterns on sleep quality and cognitive functioning among undergraduate medical students. Methods: We conducted our study on 200 students selected through stratified random sampling at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government Medical College, Vidisha. Data were collected using standardized instruments including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Mobile-Related Sleep Risk Factors (MRSRF) questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v16.0, with p<0.05 considered significant. Results: The average screen usage time was 5-6 hours daily, with 26.5% of participants reporting >7-8 hours of daily use. The mean PSQI score was 5.74±2.13, with 79% of students experiencing mild sleep difficulty. The mean MoCA score was 26.81±1.72, with 20.5% showing mild cognitive impairment. Despite high prevalence of both smartphone use and sleep/cognitive issues, no statistically significant association was found between screen time and sleep quality (p=0.99) or cognitive function (p=0.872). Conclusions: While a substantial proportion of medical students experience mild sleep difficulties and cognitive impairment, our findings suggest that smartphone usage patterns may not be directly responsible for these issues. Nevertheless, education on mindful smartphone use remains important for maintaining overall wellbeing and academic performance.