Impact of Sleep on Physical Activity, Stress, and Screen Time Among Medical Students

Background: Medical students commonly encounter factors such as insufficient physical activity, heightened stress, and excessive screen time, all of which can adversely impact sleep quality. Objective: To evaluate the impact of sleep on physical activity, stress, and screen time among medical students. Methodology: This cross-sectional study design was conducted from January to October 2024, recruiting participants using non-probability convenience sampling. Current undergraduate medical students aged between 18 and 28 years, both male and female, were eligible. Before participation, informed consent was obtained from all students. Data was gathered using a self-administered questionnaire comprising several validated instruments: the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to assess sleep patterns and habits, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire to evaluate physical activity levels, and the Perceived Stress Scale to assess perceived stress. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages, were computed to summarise the characteristics of the sample and the distribution of study variables. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Institutional Ethical Review Committee of United College of Physical Therapy. Throughout the research process, confidentiality of the data and anonymity of all participants were strictly maintained. Results: Analysis revealed that students with extended screen time demonstrated higher levels of hyperactivity, with female students reporting a slightly greater hyperactivity rate (72.2%) compared to males (69.5%). Poor sleep quality was prevalent among 71.2% of participants, while 28.8% were classified as good sleepers. Moderate stress was most common (69.2%), and 71.5% of students reported engaging in high-effort physical activity. Good sleepers were more likely to be highly physically active (75.5%) than poor sleepers (69.8%). Screen time between 1-5 hours was typical for both good (49.0%) and poor sleepers (52.0%). Poor sleepers showed a higher occurrence of moderate stress (71%) compared to good sleepers (64.7%). Conclusion: A substantial proportion of medical students exhibited poor sleep quality, moderate stress, and high screen time, with hyperactive students tending toward moderate stress. Good sleep was associated with higher physical activity, while screen exposure was similar across sleep quality groups.