Sleep quality, screen time, and verbal episodic memory in adolescents: a cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25118/2763-9037.2025.v15.1461Keywords:
sleep, sleep quality, memory, adolescents, learning, screen timeAbstract
Introduction: Sleep plays a fundamental role in memory consolidation. Adolescence is a period of increased vulnerability to poor sleep quality. Although there is evidence of the impact of sleep deprivation on memory, few studies have examined the relationship between subjective sleep quality and screen use on verbal episodic memory performance in this age group. Objective: To investigate the relationship between subjective sleep quality, screen time before bed, and verbal episodic memory. Methods: The Informed Consent Form (ICF) was signed by the parents and the Informed Assent Form (TALE) by the adolescents. Cross-sectional study with 21 high school students (aged 15 to 17). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), an additional habits questionnaire, and the Matrix Reasoning subtest of the Beta-III were applied. Analyses included Spearman’s correlation, Mann-Whitney test, and linear regression. Results: A correlation was found between screen time before bed and forgetting speed (ρ = 0.540; p = 0.012), as well as an association between poor sleep quality and retroactive interference (ρ = 0.467; p = 0.033). Regression analysis showed that screen time predicted forgetting speed (R² = 0.511; p = 0.024), and sleep quality predicted retroactive interference (R² = 0.560; p = 0.011). Differences between sexes were observed, with no statistical significance. Conclusion: Poor sleep quality and nighttime screen use were associated with impairments in verbal episodic memory.
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