We do not just use technology; we live with it. Much more deeply than ever before, we are aware that interacting with technology involves us emotionally, intellectually, and sensually. As the popularity of the internet and digital devices grows so do concerns over their excessive use. This is worth drawing attention to, though, considering the widely established consequences excessive screen time can have on someone's sleep, mental and physical health. This paper describes the pattern of screen use, sleep and psychological well being in physiotherapy students during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The study also throws light on the fact that physical exercises could be a mediating factor for effect on sleep pattern and overall perception of well-being. A representative sample of 150 Physiotherapy students was surveyed to assess technology use, sleep pattern, mental and physical health through a self-reported questionnaire. Around 52% students admitted that excessive screen use has affected their sleep quality and linked it to sleeping problems such as reduced sleep durations with mobile phone use-awakenings. 48% of the students believe that excessive hours spent in front of the screen has affected their physical well being and 28.7% of students reported negative effects on their mental health. 65.27% of the exercising participants experienced beneficial effects due to performance of physical exercises and reported decreased sleeping complaints or mental health issues. The present study strengthens the existing scientific evidence for the negative impact of excessive screen time on mental and physical health while providing new insights on the digital media use during pandemic situation. In addition, this study also attempts to determine the mediating effect of physical exercise on ill effects of screen use.

UNSTRUCTURED Technology has advanced significantly within the past decade and along with that has come the ability to use a variety of devices for academic purposes. While this can make accessing information much easier and allow for new organizational methods, it can also provide the opportunity for more distractions. Sleep is fundamental to optimal functioning including health and behavior. This paper describes the interrelations between screen use, sleep and academic performance. The purpose of this study was to explore technology use and its impact on sleep and academics in physiotherapy students in this pandemic lockdown.How the increased screen media usage and the uncertainty of the situation has an impact on their academic performance.We examined how this distraction potential can play a role in studying experiences and academic performance. A representative sample of 150 Physiotherapy students were surveyed to quantify technology use, sleep pattern, mental health and academic performance. 73.3% of the population agreed that screen time did affect their sleeping pattern in the lockdown , 84.7% of the students conveyed that they could not perform study related activities optimally as per their academic capacity. 56.7% of the population also agreed that excessive screen time hindered their ability to perform academically well.

Aim: The science of today is the technology of tomorrow. The 21st century has witnessed a great development in the field of technology. Whether we love it or loathe it, technology affects everything we do today and influences almost everything we plan for our tomorrow. It has advanced everywhere making people access various types of devices. Sleep is fundamental to optimal functioning including health and behavior. This paper describes the interrelations between sleep and screen use. The purpose of this study was to identify technology use hence exploring the screen time of the individual and its impact on sleep and the mediating effect of physical exercise. Method: A representative sample of 150 Physiotherapy students was surveyed using an online questionnaire to analyze their technology use and sleep patterns. Results: A total number of 150 completed forms were analyzed. 94.7% students screen time use had increased during the lockdown. 43.3% of student participants spent more than 6 hours on digital devices on a daily basis. 73.3% of the population agreed that screen time did affect their sleeping pattern in the lockdown. 64% students encountered sleeping problems. 52% people admitted that excessive screen use has affected their sleep quality. 65.3% of the students have been taking part in physical exercises regularly, out of which 65.27 % reported decreased sleeping complaints. Conclusion: This study shows that use of screen based digital devices and media use has significantly increased during COVID-19 pandemic lock down in Physiotherapy students and provides scientific evidence for its negative impact on sleep. Physical exercises were associated with a positive effect on sleep disorders.

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