Influence of screen time on the sleep quality of students

Abstract

Introduction: The restorative effects of sleep are essential for physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral daily performance in college. In addition to the stress of everyday student life, the use of screen devices at the forefront of pandemic-related online teaching is also increasing dramatically. Particularly during evening and nighttime hours, increased screen use may contribute to physical, psychological, and cognitive activation, which in turn may negatively affect students’ sleep quality. Methods: To determine possible associations between screen use in online teaching and its effects on sleep hygiene and quality, 216 students at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences anonymously and voluntarily participated in the online survey in May 2021. The positive ethics vote is available. Results: The general sleep quality of the student body can be rated as poor in 68.9% (n = 149) of the surveyed students. In particular, students who worked predominantly on screen devices in the evening or at nighttime for their studies, and thus had a chronobiological tendency to be a night person, tended to have poorer sleep. Discussion: The effects of long screen time in the evening and nighttime hours can have far-reaching consequences on sleep patterns and awareness of physical needs for breaks and sleep. Online teaching in times of the COVID-19 pandemic in particular led to an increase in screen time alongside equally high levels of personal use. This could result in a continued negative impact on sleep hygiene and quality, not only at the expense of daytime concentration and performance but rather of physical and mental health.