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Study finds 'nomophobia' is associated with poor sleep health in college students

Date:
August 27, 2020
Source:
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Summary:
A new study found that the fear of being out of mobile phone contact -- 'nomophobia' -- is extremely common among college students and is associated with poor sleep health.
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A new study found that the fear of being out of mobile phone contact -- "nomophobia" -- is extremely common among college students and is associated with poor sleep health.

Preliminary results show that 89% of a sample of college students had moderate or severe nomophobia. Greater nomophobia was significantly related to greater daytime sleepiness and more behaviors associated with poor sleep quality.

"We found that college students who experience more 'nomophobia' were also more likely to experience sleepiness and poorer sleep hygiene such as long naps and inconsistent bed and wake times," said lead author Jennifer Peszka, PhD, professor of psychology at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas.

While Peszka anticipated that nomophobia would be common among the study participants, she was surprised by its high prevalence.

"Because our study suggests a connection between nomophobia and poorer sleep, it is interesting to consider what the implications will be if nomophobia severity continues to increase," she said.

The study involved 327 university students with a mean age of 20 years. Participants completed several questionnaires, including the Nomophobia Questionnaire, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Sleep Hygiene Index.

Peszka also noted that one common recommendation for improving sleep habits is to limit phone use before and during bedtime. However, she said that for people who have nomophobia, this recommendation could exacerbate bedtime anxiety and disrupt sleep, rather than improve it.

"The recommendation to curtail bedtime phone use, which is meant to improve sleep and seems rather straightforward, might need adjustment or consideration for these individuals," she said.

The research team included co-investigators David Mastin, PhD, and Bruce Moore, PhD, from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where the other co-authors are undergraduate student researchers: Shalonda Michelle, Benjamin T. Collins, Nataly Abu-Halimeh, Monnar Quattom, Maya Henderson, Madison Sanders, and Jeremiah Critton.


Story Source:

Materials provided by American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. D F Mastin, B Moore, J Critton, M Sanders, M Henderson, M Quattom, N Abu-Halimeh, B T Collins, S Michelle, J Peszka. 0180 Sleep, Sleepiness, and Sleep Hygiene Related to Nomophobia (No Mobile Phone Phobia). Sleep, 2020; 43 (Supplement_1): A71 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsaa056.178

Cite This Page:

American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "Study finds 'nomophobia' is associated with poor sleep health in college students." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 August 2020. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200827102142.htm>.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine. (2020, August 27). Study finds 'nomophobia' is associated with poor sleep health in college students. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 31, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200827102142.htm
American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "Study finds 'nomophobia' is associated with poor sleep health in college students." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200827102142.htm (accessed October 31, 2024).

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