Nightly use of computer by adolescents: its effect on quality of sleep.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the influence of nocturnal use of computer and their effect on sleep quality, in a group of adolescents. METHOD Two middle schools were chosen for the research. The sample consisted of adolescents n=160 (55M; 105F), with ages ranging from 15 to 18 years. Questionnaire about computer use with the objective of obtaining information regarding the time and number of hours of nocturnal computer use, were applied for collection of data. They included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), utilized to quantfy sleep quality; student report cards were used to note student's absences and grades were used. RESULTS The Multiple Logistic Regression test indicated that nocturnal computer use impairs good sleep (p=0.0062). CONCLUSION Irregular sleep patterns associated with nightly computer use deteriorate sleep quality.