Physiological Correlates of Prolonged Mobile Phone Use and Sleep Architecture Disturbance Among Students of Delta State University, South South Nigeria

Background: The proliferation of smartphones among Nigerian university students has introduced novel sleep hygiene challenges, particularly blue-light-induced suppression of melatonin and associated disruptions to sleep architecture. While global evidence on this association is robust, context-specific data from Delta State University and the South South zone remain limited. Objectives: This study aims to quantify daily mobile phone screen exposure time, evaluate subjective sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and assess daytime sleepiness using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale among undergraduate students at Delta State University. Methods: Two hundred and twenty students will be recruited by stratified random sampling. Mobile phone screen time will be objectively captured using device-embedded usage trackers over a one-week period. Questionnaires will document sleep timing, duration, and academic performance proxies. Pearson correlation and multiple regression will assess relationships between screen time, sleep quality, and sleepiness scores. Expected Outcomes: Greater daily screen time, particularly after 10 PM, is expected to correlate significantly with poorer sleep quality scores and higher daytime sleepiness, independent of gender and course of study. Conclusion: Findings will underpin evidence-based digital wellness guidelines for Nigerian university communities. Keywords: mobile phone use, sleep quality, blue light, daytime sleepiness, Delta State.