Internet addiction and daytime sleepiness among professionals in India: A web-based survey

BACKGROUND: The likelihood of the relation between Internet overuse and comorbid psychiatric conditions is on the rise. However, sleep disturbances are common psychiatric symptoms associated with internet overuse. Our objective was to examine the association of Internet overuse with excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep problems in professionals from India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a web-based cross-sectional study through a predesigned questionnaire which included various professional groups. The information included in the questionnaire was sociodemographic details, Young's internet addiction test (IAT) and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS). RESULTS: < 0.001), predicted membership to moderate-to-severe internet addiction, even after controlling for the confounding effects of age and gender. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows an association between Internet overuse, excessive daytime sleepiness, and other sleep problems. Clinicians should be proactive and conscious in scrutinizing the patients for internet addiction and its consequences.