Smartphones are become an essential component of everyday life, particularly for students & young adults. Smartphones are widely used by medical students for social networking, gaming, entertainment, education, & communication. Although cellphones have many benefits for academic & clinical learning, overuse can result in behavioral addiction & have a detrimental impact on one's physical & mental well-being.

Excessive or poorly managed obsessions, cravings, or behaviors related to smartphone use that cause impairment or suffering are characteristics of smartphone addiction. Excessive smartphone use has been linked to anxiety, sadness, stress, poor academic performance, musculoskeletal issues, & sleep disruptions, according to studies.

Sleep is a vital physiological activity that is required for memory consolidation, emotional control, cognitive function, & physical recovery. Due to their rigorous academic schedules, exams, & clinical duties, medical students are already at risk for sleep disorders. Overuse of smartphones prior to bedtime can impede the quality of sleep, delay the onset of sleep, & inhibit melatonin release owing to blue light exposure.

Numerous international research have found a strong link between university students' poor sleep quality & smartphone addiction. There are not many research on Indian medical students, though. Planning preventative measures & encouraging healthy digital behaviors require an understanding of this link.

In order to evaluate smartphone addiction & its relationship to sleep quality among medical students, the current study was carried out.

Rapid developments in information & communication technology have drastically changed human behavior & way of life in recent years. Among these technological advancements, cellphones have emerged as one of the most popular electronic gadgets worldwide. Calling, messaging, social networking, internet access, online education, entertainment, gaming, & multimedia sharing are just a few of the many features that smartphones offer. They have become an essential element of everyday life because to their cost, mobility, & ease of access, especially for teenagers & young people. With the ability to access e-books, medical journals, online lectures, educational applications, & digital resources at any time & location, cellphones have emerged as important tools for academic learning in the educational sector.

With their demanding coursework, extended study sessions, clinical obligations, & psychological strain, medical students are a special group. Medical students often use smartphones for both educational & recreational purposes in order to manage these demands & make learning easier. Despite the fact that cellphones provide many educational benefits, excessive & unchecked use can result in undesirable behavior known as smartphone addiction. Excessive reliance on cellphones, an inability to limit usage, compulsive checking behavior, withdrawal feelings when the device is unavailable, & disruption of regular daily activities, social interactions, & academic functioning are all signs of smartphone addiction.

The growing prevalence of smartphone addiction has become a major public health concern worldwide. Studies have reported increasing rates of problematic smartphone use among college & university students, particularly in medical & healthcare-related fields. Medical students may be more susceptible to smartphone addiction because of academic pressure, stress, irregular schedules, & the need for continuous connectivity. Excessive smartphone use has been associated with various physical, psychological, & social health problems, including eye strain, headaches, neck pain, reduced physical activity, anxiety, depression, stress, poor concentration, decreased productivity, & impaired academic performance.

Objectives

1. To determine the prevalence of smartphone addiction among medical students.
2. To assess sleep quality among medical students.

3. To evaluate the association between smartphone addiction & sleep quality.

Study Design: A cross-sectional observational study. Study Setting: The study was conducted among undergraduate medical students of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Study Duration: The study was conducted over a period of three months. Study Population: Undergraduate MBBS students who consented to participate in the study. Sample Size: A total of 100 medical students were included in the study. Sampling Method: Convenience sampling technique was used. Inclusion Criteria 1. Undergraduate medical students. 2. Students using smartphones for at least one year. 3. Students willing to participate. Exclusion Criteria 1. Students with diagnosed psychiatric illness. 2. Students on medications affecting sleep. 3. Students unwilling to participate. Study Tools 1. Semi-structured Questionnaire Information regarding age, gender, year of study, duration of smartphone use, & purpose of smartphone use was collected. 2. Smartphone Addiction Scale–Short Version (SAS-SV) The SAS-SV is a validated tool used to assess smartphone addiction. Higher scores indicate greater smartphone addiction. 3. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) PSQI assesses sleep quality over the previous month. A global score >5 indicates poor sleep quality. Data Collection Procedure After obtaining institutional ethical committee approval & informed consent, participants were asked to complete the questionnaires anonymously during scheduled sessions. Statistical Analysis Data were entered in Microsoft Excel & analyzed using SPSS version 25. Quantitative variables were expressed as mean ± standard deviation, while categorical variables were expressed as percentages. Chi-square test & independent t-test were used. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Table 1: Sociodemographic Characteristics of Study Participants (n=100)

Table 2: Prevalence of Smartphone Addiction among Medical Students

Mean SAS-SV score: 33.8 ± 8.6

Table 3: Sleep Quality among Medical Students

Mean PSQI score: 7.1 ± 2.9

Table 4: Association between Smartphone Addiction & Sleep Quality

Students with smartphone addiction had significantly poorer sleep quality compared to non-addicted students (Chi-square test, p<0.001).

Additionally, students using smartphones for more than 6 hours daily had significantly higher PSQI scores than students using smartphones for less than 6 hours (7.9 ± 2.7 vs 5.8 ± 2.1, p=0.002).

The current study evaluated medical students' sleep quality & smartphone addiction. A high frequency of smartphone addiction among medical students was found in 46% of the individuals. Previous research involving university students have revealed similar results.

62% of students in the current study had poor sleep quality. Due to academic stress, exams, & extended smartphone use, particularly at night, medical students frequently have abnormal sleep habits.

Poor sleep quality & smartphone addiction were found to be statistically significantly correlated (p<0.001). Higher PSQI values, which indicate disturbed sleep, were seen in students who were addicted to smartphones. Overuse of smartphones can shorten sleep length, increase sleep efficiency, & delay bedtime. Smartphone screens emit blue light, which suppresses melatonin secretion & throws off the circadian rhythm.

The results of this study are in line with earlier research that showed a substantial link between problematic smartphone use & poor sleep. Lemola et al. found that using a smartphone at night was linked to weariness throughout the day & trouble falling asleep. Demirci et al. also discovered that university students' sleep quality was adversely impacted by heavy smartphone use.

Due to their frequent use of digital devices & academic pressure, medical students are a vulnerable demographic. Concentration, memory, academic performance, & mental health can all be negatively impacted by poor sleep quality. Thus, it is crucial to encourage good smartphone practices & sleep hygiene.

The study has certain limitations. The cross-sectional design prevents establishing causality. Self-reported questionnaires may introduce recall bias. The study was conducted in a single institution with a relatively small sample size, limiting generalizability.

Despite these limitations, the study highlights the growing problem of smartphone addiction & its impact on sleep among medical students.

The present study revealed a high prevalence of smartphone addiction & poor sleep quality among medical students. A significant association was observed between smartphone addiction & poor sleep quality. Early identification of problematic smartphone use & implementation of awareness programs regarding sleep hygiene are recommended.

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