Objective: To investigate the role of perceived stress and loneliness on
the association between excessive smart phone use and poor sleep quality among
Chinese college students. Methods: A sample of 573 Guangzhou Medical University
students completed measures of excessive smart phone use, perceived stress, loneliness
and sleep quality. Results: Excessive smart phone use was positively related to both
perceived stress and loneliness, which in turn significantly related to decreased sleep
quality. Thus perceived stress and loneliness indeed mediate the relationship between
excessive smart phone use and poor sleep quality. Specifically, the two mediating
factors play both concurrent and sequential roles in the mediation chain. Conclusion:
These findings advance our understanding of how excessive smart phone use
associated with college students’ poor sleep quality and enlighten future intervention
programs aimed to improve the sleep quality among those young adults.