The Ubiquity of Electronic Gadgets and Sleep Patterns among Undergraduate Health Sciences Students: A Descriptive and Inferential Analysis
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Abstract
Background: The increasing use of electronic gadgets among students has raised concerns about their potential impacts on sleep quality and duration. This study sought to characterize the extent of gadget usage, describe sleep patterns, and identify commonly reported sleep-influencing factors among a cohort of undergraduate health science students in India.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2024 among 101 undergraduate students from medical and allied health disciplines at a tertiary institution in Ghoti Kh, Maharashtra, India. The survey collected self-reported data on daily gadget usage, pre-bedtime device activities, sleep duration, and subjective sleep quality on a 1-5 scale. Descriptive statistics, including means, standard deviations, and frequencies, were used to present the findings.
Results: Participants reported a mean daily gadget usage of 3.79 hours (SD=1.15) and a mean sleep duration of 6.66 hours (SD=0.91). The mean self-rated sleep quality was 3.54 out of 5 (SD=0.92), with a "fair-good" rating being the most common. Social media browsing and watching videos were the most frequent pre-bedtime activities. Academic stress and workload were cited as significant contributors to poor sleep, alongside late-night gadget use. The distribution of daily gadget usage and sleep duration is visualized in histograms.
Conclusion: This descriptive analysis highlights the substantial daily gadget use and frequent pre-bedtime engagement among health science students in this Indian context. The average sleep duration falls below recommended guidelines, underscoring a public health concern. The findings emphasize the need for targeted sleep hygiene and time-management interventions to improve sleep health in this student population.
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