Publication:

The impact of sleep quality and screen time on academic performances of students at University of Hyderabad: a cross-sectional study

Background Sleep deprivation or low-quality sleep might influence mental, physical and cognitive functioning. And everyone being dependent on digital devices highlights excessive screen exposure, which leads to increased sleep problems, lower academic performances, and low self-esteem. However, this area needs to be explored more among university students. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate and establish a correlation between increase screen time, varying sleep quality and academic performance, as well as to assess the average screen time usage by students at University of Hyderabad.

Methods In this cross-sectional study, a selection was made of 120 students from the age group 19-29 years, from January to April 2025, using convenience sampling. Data was collected using Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) tool and a self-structured questionnaire comprising of demographic details, screen time usage, and academic performance variables.

Results The global PSQI score was calculated with 75.8% of respondents having poor/ low sleep quality (PSQI score >5). An average of 5.1 hours per day of screen usage was seen, with screen usage just before bed accounting for an average of 1.90 hours per day. A significant association was found between sleep quality and screen time with academic performance (p value 0.05).

Conclusions Sleep quality and screen time showed an association with academic performance. However, there was no significant association established between sleep quality and screen time.