Pharmaceutical Research and Therapeutic Sciences

ABSTRACT

In today’s digital world, the younger generation is spending more time on screen devices than ever before, particularly at night. The blue light emitted from devices and prolonged screen exposure disrupts the natural sleep–wake cycle and contributes significantly to insomnia. This study highlights the paradox that, while many young individuals turn to sleeping pills for insomnia relief, these medications remain largely ineffective because the true underlying cause—excessive screen use—remains unaddressed. This cross-sectional study, conducted on 200 individuals (118 males and 82 females) mainly aged 18–25 years, assessed screen time and sleep quality through structured questionnaire, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Data analysis further demonstrated that prolonged screen time was significantly associated with insomnia, poor sleep quality, increased sleep latency, and reduced sleep duration, which in turn led to a greater reliance on sleeping pills. However, no significant correlation was found between screen time and insomnia when compared to other influencing factors such as stress, anxiety, and depression. These results emphasize that effective screen time management is more crucial for addressing insomnia than relying solely on sleeping pills, which may provide temporary relief but cannot serve as a sustainable solution.

Devices and prolonged screen exposure disrupts the natural sleep–wake cycle and contributes significantly to insomnia. This study highlights the paradox that, while many young individuals turn to sleeping pills for insomnia relief, these medications remain largely ineffective because the true underlying cause—excessive screen use—remains unaddressed. This cross-sectional study, conducted on 200 individuals (118 males and 82 females) mainly aged 18–25 years, assessed screen time and sleep quality through structured questionnaire, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Data analysis further demonstrated that prolonged screen time was significantly associated with insomnia, poor sleep quality, increased sleep latency, and reduced sleep duration, which in turn led to a greater reliance on sleeping pills. However, no significant correlation was found between screen time and insomnia when compared to other influencing factors such as stress, anxiety, and depression. These results emphasize that effective screen time management is more crucial for addressing insomnia than relying solely on sleeping pills, which may provide temporary relief but cannot serve as a sustainable solution.

Keywords: Screen Time; Sleeping Pills; Insomnia; Sleep Quality; Blue Light; Young Adults; Sleep-Wake Cycle; Paradox of Medication