INFLUENCE OF SCREEN TIME ON QUALITY OF SLEEP AMONG GENERAL POPULATION A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Sleep is a physiological state of reversible unconsciousness in which brain is less responsive to external stimuli. Among the causes for sleep disturbances, screen time and light emitting devices used during late hours plays a major role. With the pervasive use of screens in daily life, understanding how screen time affects the sleep patterns is critical. As screen exposure increases, particularly before bedtime, it is hypothesized to disrupt sleep quality and duration, potentially affecting physical and mental health. Objectives To assess and evaluate the sleep quality and screen time among general population. To find out the association between screen time and the sleep duration. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted among community using respondent-driven sampling, total of 310 participants were assessed using a semi-structured questionnaire consisting of demographic background, screen time usage. Data of sleep quality, quantity was collected using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Results 50.3% were female and 49.7% were male with mean age 27 + (9.33) among 310 participants. 74% had poor sleep quality and 73.2% had screen time usage >2 hours per day. Social media (82 %) and communication (71%) were the two areas where screen usage was found to be highly used. There is a significant association (p-0.001) between no of hours slept and screen time usage using chi square test (21.1). Independent t-test resulted that there is a significant (p-0.001) difference between screen time usage and sleep quality. Conclusion There is a significant finding for the association observed between duration of screen time and sleep quality, majority of respondents developed poor sleep quality. Individuals well-being and sleep quality can be improved by implementing awareness campaigns and technological improvements into practice. Keywords Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Screen time, Sleep quality.