Nighttime digital consumption and its impact on sleep quality in university students
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Abstract
Nighttime digital consumption has become a frequent habit among university students, with direct implications for sleep quality. In this context, the present study aimed to analyze the impact of nighttime digital consumption on sleep quality in second-semester students of the Pedagogy of Language and Literature program at Universidad Estatal de Milagro. The research adopted a quantitative approach, explanatory level, with a non-experimental and cross-sectional design. The population consisted of 95 students, to whom the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were applied. The findings revealed that students experienced occasional difficulties in falling asleep in less than 30 minutes and frequent nocturnal awakenings, although without reaching severe levels of dysfunction. The linear regression model showed that Internet addiction explained 19.8% of the variability in sleep quality, confirming its significant impact. It is concluded that nighttime digital consumption constitutes a relevant risk factor for sleep disruption in university students, underscoring the need to promote institutional strategies aimed at technological self-regulation and education on healthy sleep habits. The limitations of the study include its cross-sectional design and the restriction to a single academic program, which limits the generalizability of the results. Future research should consider longitudinal designs and comparative samples across different academic contexts.
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