Late-Night Screen Exposure and Sleep Quality Among Students at Bangladesh University of Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Aim: Late-night screen exposure is an increasing concern in the university population and may influence sleep onset as well as sleep quality. However, very few attempts have been made to address this issue among the students at Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP). This study aims to evaluate sleep-associated characteristics and establish the correlation between late-night screen exposure (LNSE) with poor sleep quality among BUP students. Materials and methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out on students in Bangladesh University of Professionals. Though 106 responses were collected, only 104 valid responses were analyzed. Screen-Use Duration, Bedtime Pattern and Sleep Hours and Quality were Summarized Using Descriptive Statistics Spearman's rho was used to test correlations of bedtime pattern and duration-related behavior, whereas a chi-square test was performed to assess association between the bedtime pattern and waking pattern as well as sleep quality. Results: More than half of respondents reported a higher FFPI and reduced bedroom behavior. There was a large moderate positive correlation between Bedtime_Code and Duration_Code, rs =. 580, p <. 001 meaning that students who express behavior regarding duration tend to describe later sleep timing. On the other hand, bedtime pattern was not significantly associated with waking pattern χ²(12) = 8.576, p=. 739, on sleep quality, χ²(12) = 16.966, p =. 151. Results indicated a strong linear–linear association between sleep patterns at bedtime and quality of sleep, p =. 014, hinting at an ordinal trend? Conclusions: Findings indicate that late-night screen-related behavior is primarily associated with sleep timing among BUP students, while an independent association between the two was not strongly established in this sample. Moreover, awareness and sleep hygienic education could bring down the amount of after-hours exposure to screens in students and contribute to a healthier manner of sleeping.