Relationship between Internet addiction and sleep disturbance in high school students: a cross-sectional study
Abstract Background: The increase in the number of Internet users has increased Internet dependence worldwide. In adolescents, this dependence interferes with sleep, which is important for the development of psychophysiological capabilities. However, few large-scale surveys have descriptively examined the relationship between Internet addiction (IA) and sleep disturbance using standardized questionnaires. We conducted this study to determine the relationship between sleep disturbance in adolescents and IA based on the categories of the Young Diagnostic Questionnaire (YDQ) through a complete survey of one prefecture in Japan.Methods: In 2016, a self-report questionnaire was used to survey high school students (n=10,405, age range: 15–16 years) in all 54 day-boarding high schools in the selected prefecture. We defined “sleep disturbance” by scores greater than 5.5 points on the Japanese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. IA was evaluated using the YDQ: “IA,” when five of the eight YDQ items were present; “at-risk,” when three or four YDQ items were reported; and “non-IA,” when two or less YDQ items were positive. Multiple logistic regression analysis was undertaken with sleep disturbance as the dependent variable, IA as the explanatory variable, and adjustments for eight items.Results: High YDQ scores were associated with high prevalence rates of sleep disturbance in boys and girls. These findings persisted after controlling for other factors in the multiple regression model.Conclusions: Among Japanese adolescents, there was a significant independent relationship between IA and sleep disturbances.