Association between night-time screen exposure, sleep disturbance, and psychological distress among young adults: a hospital-based cross-sectional observational study.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51168/vgc8t514Cuvinte cheie:
Night-time screen exposure, Sleep disturbance, Psychological distress, Young adults, Smartphone use, Sleep hygiene, Observational studyRezumat
Background:
Night-time exposure to smartphones and other digital screens has become common among young adults and is increasingly linked with delayed sleep, reduced sleep quality, and emotional distress. Hospital-based assessment of this behavioural pattern provides useful evidence for early counselling and preventive mental health strategies.
Objectives:
To assess the association between night-time screen exposure, sleep disturbance, and psychological distress among young adults attending a tertiary care teaching hospital.
Methods:
This hospital-based cross-sectional observational study included 250 young adults at Government Medical College, Vikarabad, Telangana, India, from August 2025 to January 2026. Demographic details, lifestyle factors, screen exposure, sleep characteristics, and psychological distress categories were recorded using a structured data collection form and standardized questionnaire-based assessment. Associations were analysed using Pearson chi-square tests and adjusted logistic regression.
Results:
The mean age was 21.8 ± 3.1 years, and females constituted 56.4%. Night-time screen exposure above 2 hours was reported by 46.4%. Sleep disturbance was present in 50.4%, and moderate-to-severe psychological distress was observed in 42.4%. Sleep disturbance increased from 25.0% in participants with less than 1 hour of night-time screen exposure to 78.9% in those with more than 4 hours. Psychological distress increased from 17.3% to 65.8% across the same exposure categories. Night-time screen exposure above 2 hours independently predicted sleep disturbance and psychological distress.
Conclusion:
Prolonged nighttime screen exposure was significantly associated with sleep disturbance and psychological distress among young adults. These findings support routine screening of bedtime digital habits in young adult health assessments.
Recommendations:
Screen-time education, sleep hygiene counselling, and behavioural interventions should be integrated into youth-friendly outpatient services.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Muchipalli Sai Prashanthi
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