International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume II, Issue XII, December 2018|ISSN 2454-6186
The Relationship Between Playing Online Games and
its Impact on Human Sleep Patterns among Youth in
Malaysia
N. Fatimah1, M.Y. Kamal2, R. Normala3, C.Azlini4, Z.M. Lukman5
1,2,3,4,5
Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
Abstract—Online games can be addictive, and it could affect
one’s sleeping patterns. Hence, this study was conducted to
investigate the relationship between playing online games and
also its impact on human sleep patterns among youth specifically
in Malaysia. The respondents consisted of 317 youth people who
were in the age range of 15-year-old until 30-year-old. This study
adopted descriptive analysis approach and the findings were
recorded using frequency and percentage to determine the index
of sleeping quality of the youth whether it correlated with
playing online games or otherwise. The instrument used was in
the form of questionnaire. The findings showed that the majority
of the respondents do have sleeping problems but on various
indexes. The index of having minor sleeping problem due to
online games found that the highest value recorded was
significantly 42.05%. Meanwhile, only 3.47% of the youth
suffered from severe sleeping problem because of playing online
games. Therefore, the impact of playing online games excessively
could affect the sleeping patterns if it becomes uncontrollable.
Keywords—Online Game, Youth, Sleep Patterns, Sleep Problem,
Malaysia.
I. INTRODUCTION
I n this era of globalization, the technology has become
progressively sophisticated and advanced. Its development
has been extended in various sectors such as in agriculture,
domestic, entertainment, services and others. Nowadays, the
entertainment technology; specifically digital games, is
rapidly developed compare to the other types of technology.
According to [1], the online gaming industry has been
evolving and turned into an industry that counts billions for
the profit. Online games are games played using the internet
network [2]. In addition, an online game can also be played at
the computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones as long as
they have an internet network [3]. The advancement of online
gaming technology can become a major concern for the
generation as it can cause an addictive disease [4]. Moreover,
when online gaming users are actively involved in the game
while playing, they become more addicted and easily ignore
other responsibilities, especially in neglecting their sleep time
[5].
Sleep is a period where human beings fall asleep and being in
the natural recurring state that involved both body and mind to
relax until the body is ready to wake up [6]. Sufficient and
high quality sleep ensures freshness and eliminates fatigue so
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that one remains viable for the next days [7]. Therefore, sleep
time is an essential requirement for humans and it is not to be
neglected. According to [8], online games have become one of
the most active internet activities so far.The impact of overly
engaged with online games upon the sleep patterns of its user
is still hardly understood by the society.This is due to a
paucity of detailed explanation regarding the relationship
between online game addiction and sleep patterns [9]. Based
on the result from the International Telecommunication Union
in 2013 depicted that Malaysia had been recorded as the
world’s fourth highest number of digital uses and nearly 75%
of Malaysian youths are digital users [10]. Meanwhile,
Malaysia’s online game usage is ranked 21 worldwide [11].
Furthermore, according to [12], in his study in Belgium, the
main reason high school students always sleep late is because
they play online games until late night. If an individual does
not have enough sleep, it can affect his health [13]. A healthy
lifestyle is gained through proper sleep routines and some
problems may occur if online gaming addiction becomes
evidently uncontrollable. Insomnia, no enthusiasm for work,
fatigue, and severe sleep stages may occur as a result of lack
of sleep [14]. Therefore, this study is to investigate the
relationship between playing online games and its impact on
human sleep patterns among youth in Malaysia.
II. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 The Relationship between Online Game and Sleep
According to [15], the youngsters are overly engaged with
electronic media; by watching videos or playing games, rather
than doing other activities before sleep time. Hence, the
prominent concern is not only regarding the usage of devices
as a platform to play games but it is also closely related to the
excessive usage of playing online games which inevitably
related to sleep patterns.There are many functions associated
with sleep patterns such asit canbring memory together [16],
second is to restore physiological and psychological
organisms [17] and the third is to regain energy for the body
to function [18]. Therefore, sleeping can recover back the
energy, help the mind to function properly and also can
sustain the ability to function for the next day [7].
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International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume II, Issue XII, December 2018|ISSN 2454-6186
Relaxing and unstructured conditions can attribute in good
sleeping patterns [19].When sleep conditions are interrupted
by activities such as playing online games, it will affect the
pattern of a person's sleep. [20], in his study, concluded that
the use of technology during bedtime has become a mandatory
routine in the United States. Those who are addicted to online
games are also willing to sacrifice sleeping time because they
are engrossed in interacting with characters of the games such
as troops, zombies, alien creatures, wizards, and giants [21].
Frequent use of computers to surf the internet can caused
reduction in sleep time and increases the sleep disorders
among users [22]. Playing excessive online games can
contribute to sleep disorders, wasting time and changing the
sleep patterns [23]. [24], stated that online games also have
elements of gambling and betting that makes players become
obsessive. They also mentioned excessive gambling can be
attributed to lack of sleep, personal and social relations.
Nurses who treat stress insomnia and hypersomnia should
consider Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) as a cause of lack of
sleep [25].
[19]proposed that there should be a fixed time for players to
sleep and to conduct other activities. For instance, as a
student, it takes a lot of time to relax, study and need to have
enough time to sleep [26]. Most online gamers will use
daytime as their bedtime thus it createsnegative notion that the
use of technology during night time has caused sleep
deprivation. Therefore, researchers suggested that there
should be restrictions on the use of electronic devices during
night time [27]. In short, playing online games at night or
before going to sleep is not appropriate for the youngsters and
they need to manage the time between goings to sleep and
playing the games.
Other than that, it has become customary for everyone to think
it is mandatory to use the technology devices before going to
sleep [28]. [29], reported that using the technology devices
before going to sleep will make the quality of sleep becomes
low and 51% users will wake up in an exhausted state.
Emission of smartphone light or other hand-held devices’
light is one of the factors that explain why students and adults
are affected by the technology devices before sleeping time.
The blue light transmitted from computers, tablets, iPad, and
cell phones will affect one’s sleep and release melatonin
hormones [29].
Studies conducted by [30], reported that 719 Chinese teens in
Hong Kong experienced insomnia due to online games
addiction. [31], argued that online games addiction can
decrease the quality of sleep and caused social disruption for
players to the society. Stay up late at night and having sleep
deprivation can lead to health problems. [32],illustrated that
when players are too excited about online games, this will
cause their brains to become sensitive from the sound and
light while they were sleeping. It is one of the signs of
insomnia and can cause the nerve damage.
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III. METHODOLOGY
3.1 Method
This study is adopting descriptive analysis approach in
explaining data and variables. It also uses quantitative survey
in a form of questionnaire.
3.2 Respondents
This study was conducted in Malaysia with 317 youths
voluntarily answered the questionnairerelated to this topic.
The respondents consisted of135 males and 182 females. The
age target of the respondents is in between 15-year-old until
30-year-old. School students, university students, workers and
unemployed were involved to answer the questionnaire.
3.3 Research Instrument
In this research, the researcher constructed the questionnaire
with 25 questions to identify the respondents' sleep index. The
questions for the index were taken from Insomnia Severity
Index [33], Sleep Reduction Screening Questionnaire [34] and
Game Engagement Questionnaire [35]where these three
werecombined to form 25 questions.In addition, these
questionnaires used 5 points Likert scale namely 0-5 (It's not
bad), 6-10 (not bad), 11-15 (moderately severe), 16-20
(extreme) and 21-25(Very bad).
3.4 Data Collection Methods
The questionnaire has been distributed to all states within
Malaysia through social networking sites like Facebook,
WhatsApp, and Instagram to the youths aged between 15-
year-old to 30-year-old. The data was collected from 10
August 2018 to 9 September 2018, where all the youth can
respond and all the feedback will be reported in a statistical
format.The data collected then were exported to excel
spreadsheet for cleaning and analysis.
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Index of Sleep Problems Due to Playing Online Games
Based on the findings, the index of sleep problem due to
online games found that the highest value was 42.05% or "not
bad". This indicates that respondents are less or do not have
sleep problems if they play online games. It is likely that the
respondents are good at dividing the time between sleep and
playing games. A good player needs to have time fixing so
online games player can have time to sleep and run other
activities [12]. Next,the second highest index was 27.13%
which is "moderate-severe". Those who are in the "moderate-
severe" index may experience sleep disorders or sleep
deprivation but it is considered as less significant and can still
be controlled. Last but not least,the lowest value was "very
bad" representing 3.47%. Only a few respondents suffered
from severe sleep problems. It is probable that those who are
having this problem easily get insomnia and symptoms of
severe sleep deprivation as well as they are addicted to online
games. [32] also mentioned that online gamers will easily
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International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume II, Issue XII, December 2018|ISSN 2454-6186
suffer from insomnia and it can affect mental, nerve and could
caused fatigue.
Table 1: Index of Sleep Problems Due to Playing Online Games
Marks Status Frequency Percentage (%)
0-5 It's not bad 55 17:35
6-10 Not bad 132 42.05
moderately
11-15 86 27.13
severe
16-20 extreme 33 10:41
21-25 Very bad 11 3:47
Number 317 100.0
Sleep problems or sleep disorders can affect respondents if it
is not addressed. The findings from sleep index questionnaire
indicated that respondents are less likely to have sleep
problems due to playing online games. With "not bad" ranked
up to 42.05% depicted that respondents do not have serious
sleep problems but can still be controlled. However, with
27.13%, the "moderate" status; which is the second highest,
showed that the respondents may experience some sleep
problems if they play online games and can still be controlled.
Only 3.47% of the respondents experienced a "very bad" sleep
problem. Therefore, the index illustrated that most
respondents are less likely to have severe sleep problems and
are still in control and relevant. Furthermore,this study also
examines the factorof sleep problems caused by online games
and the effects of online gameplay affecting sleep patterns:
4.2 Factors of Sleep Problems due to playing online games
Based on the questions from the index of sleep problems due
to online games there are some factors that caused sleep
problems. The occurrence of sleep problems due to playing
online games were constructed in 12 questions. The result of
the study found that the most influencing factor of
respondent’s sleep problem was "I used the bed to play online
games rather than to sleep” by 80.13%. The result showed that
respondents are using their bed as a platform to play online
games instead of sleeping. In accordance, [36] mentioned that
those who love to play online games are those who do not
play outdoor activities and love to stay in the room.Bedroom
and the bed should be a resting place for people [37] and not
the otherwise. Moreover, playing online games during
bedtime does not only cause negative impact on sleep, but
also lead toother problem such as obesity [38]. Online game
players are more likely to be unproductive and comfortably
lying for hours playing online games. Another factor that
affected the respondent's sleep problem was “if I play online
games at night, I will be sleepy during the day” by 59.62%.
Respondents will change their sleep time at night to daytime.
This causes the respondent to face difficulty to sleep at night
because they already slept during the day. If this is the case
then it will affect the respondents' work and academic
performance negatively [39]. Besides that, “Before going to
bed, I often play online games that makes me awake at night”
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scores 53.31% was another factor that affects respondents'
sleep patterns. Respondents use online games for them to stay
on guard at night as a mean to eliminate boredom while
working on the night shift.
Table 2: Factors of Sleep Problems due to playing online games
Item Freque Percenta
ncy ge (%)
Before going to bed, I often play online 169 53.31
games that make me awake at night
I used the bed to play online games than 254 80.13
sleep
I find it hard to sleep if I play online games 117 36.91
I find it difficult to sleep after turning off the 124 39.12
room lights.
If I am playing online games, it is difficult 121 38.17
for me to stay awake and get out of bed on
the day of work or school.
If I play online games at night, I will be 189 59.62
sleepy during the day.
I often use sleep time to play online games 64 20:19
When I play online games, I often forget to 58 18:20
sleep
I play online games longer than the time to 107 33.75
sleep
I can not stop playing online games 77 24.29
I often stay up late at night because I play 75 23.66
online games.
I will not sleep until I finished playing 78 24.61
online games.
4.3 Effects of Online Gaming on Respondents’ Changing
Sleep Patterns
Based on the index, we can deduce that the respondents’ sleep
patterns were changing because of the online gaming and its
effect to the sleeping time. There were 13 effects of sleep
patterns from the online gaming that the respondent had
chosen. The highest impact experienced by the respondent is
“When I play online games, I took a nap during the day to
recharge again” with 69.09%. The effect of playing online
games at night can affect the functionality of respondents
during the day. This affects the player's performance, lost the
spirit to work, tiredness and likes to sleep at work [14]. If this
continues, it may affect academic performance of the students
[40] and work performance [39]. Students will lose their focus
in the classroom because they are too sleepy or tired, as well
as employees. Furthermore, the negative effect faced by the
respondents is that respondents' sleep quality is at a severe
level due to online games. 59.62% of respondents agreed that
“When I play online games, I was losing time to sleep” and
“playing online games has been disturbing my sleep and my
daily function” with 53.31%. So, we can conclude that
playing online games pose a great impact on respondents'
sleep patterns if it is not controlled.In short, sleep is a basic
necessity for humans and it is very important for a person to
get a quality sleep. Although, the results of the study showed
that respondents did not have serious sleep problems when
playing online games however, if the habit persists without
any control taken, it may be a serious problem and could
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International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume II, Issue XII, December 2018|ISSN 2454-6186

affect other various life aspects besides sleep. Hence,it is
inappropriate to play online games before going to sleep
because it will affect the sleep time of the respondents [41].
Table 3: Effects of Online Gaming on Respondents’ Changing Sleep Patterns
Item Freque
ncy
I often have trouble waking up in the morning 139
because I play an online game
I'm having trouble falling asleep within 30 149
minutes prior to sleep because of online games
I take sleeping pills to help me sleep at night 28
because of online games
My sleep schedule is not consistent due to 99
playing online games
I am a person who never gets enough sleep due 120
to playing online games
I'm not satisfied with my sleeping patterns now 144
because of online game
Me playing online games has been disturbing my 169
sleep and my daily function
When I play online games, I took a nap during 219
the day to recharge again
When I play online games, I was losing time to 189
sleep.
When I play online games, I did not realize that 136
I'm sleepy
I’m diagnosed with health problems associated 46
with lack of sleep because of online games
I often fail to get enough sleep due to playing 88
online games
In general, the quality of my sleep is at their 191
worst because of online game
V. CONCLUSION
Overall, this study was conducted to identify the impact of
online games on the changing sleep pattern of youth in
Malaysia. It has proven that the use of online games on a
protracted basis only affects the change of sleep patterns
significantly or insignificantly. The findings showed that
youths are still able to control the usage of online games and
sleeping patterns probably because of other factors, not just
online games. Most youths play online games just for fun and
to fill in leisure time or relieve stress during work or in
classes.
Finally, playing online games among youths are still in
control and they are matured to think about its consequences
and realize that they have a heavy responsibility. Therefore,
they are less serious about online games and play it if they
have some free time to spend. In conclusion, online games can
be considered as a less major problem and trivial matter to the
Malaysian youngsters.
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