Screen Hours, Sleep Loss and Teen Mood in Dharan

Teenagers in Dharan spend almost five hours a day looking at screens, well over the two‑hour limit that health experts suggest. Because of this extra time in front of devices, many students do not get enough sleep. In a study of 259 secondary‑school pupils from both government and private schools, researchers measured how long each student used screens, how well they slept and their overall mental health. The average sleep time was just over six hours a day, and about forty percent of the teens reported poor sleep quality. Nearly half of them also showed signs of poor mental health.The data revealed that the type of school mattered: students in private schools tended to use screens more than those in government schools. When looking at how screen time affected sleep, the researchers found that longer hours spent on entertainment devices, higher total daily use and the longest single session all linked to poorer sleep. Similarly, more screen time for entertainment or overall use correlated with worse mental health scores. Overall, the study shows that teens in Dharan are spending far too much time on screens. This excess is tied to less sleep and poorer mental well‑being, indicating a need for better balance between digital activity and rest.