Association between Smartphone Usage, Sleep Quality, and Daytime Sleepiness among College Students

To assess the quality of sleep and daytime sleepiness and their determinants among pharmacy students. A cross-sectional study enrolled 242 students. Sleep quality and daytime sleepiness were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Around 75% of the students spend 4 to 8 hours/day on their smartphones. The data indicate that internet usage (r = -0.301, p < 0.001) and social media usage (r = -0.191, p = 0.003) were higher among younger students. A significant correlation was observed between sleep quality and the number of installed mobile applications (r = 0.138, p = 0.032). This study found that 49.17% of students experienced disturbed sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness (55.78%), with a global PSQI score of 6.36 ± 2.51 and a mean ESS score of 7.18 ± 3.05. The global PSQI and ESS values of females (6.51 ± 2.55 & 7.42 ± 3.23) were found to be higher compared to males (6.20 ± 2.46 & 6.92 ± 3.23). The sleep duration for males (1.34 ± 0.69) was found to be higher than for females (1.16 ± 0.74), and it was found to be statistically significant. These results imply that students frequently experience poor sleep quality and daytime drowsiness, with smartphone use having only a minor correlation with sleep outcomes. The study confirms a high prevalence of poor sleep quality and daytime sleepiness among students.