Public Interest in Sleep Deprivation and Sleep Hygiene in India: A Google Trends–based Infodemiology Study (2011–2025)
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Background: Sleep-related problems are increasingly recognized as a significant public-health issue in India, yet long-term population-level data remain limited.Online search behavior offers a useful proxy to understand emerging health information needs.This study assessed 15-year temporal patterns in public interest related to sleep deprivation (SD) and sleep hygiene (SH) using Google Trends (GT).Materials and methods: A retrospective infodemiology study was conducted using monthly GT data from January 2011 to October 2025.Composite indices for SD and SH were created using standardized and rescaled relative search volumes (RSVs) from selected terms/topics.Trends were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis tests.Interrupted time-series (ITS) analysis assessed immediate and slope changes at the onset of COVID-19.Seasonal variation was examined using Seasonal Trend decomposition using LOESS (STL), and the cross-correlation function (CCF) assessed lead-lag relationships between SD and SH.Analyses were performed using R version 4.4.1.Results: Both SD and SH showed rising interest over 15 years, with a sharp increase during the COVID-19 period.Median SD RSV increased from 16.9 [interquartile range (IQR): 11.0-20.2]to 38.4 (IQR: 33.6-54.3),whereas SH rose from 29.7 (IQR): 21.9-34.0) to 68.0 (59.4-75.7).Interrupted time-series analysis showed significant immediate level increases at COVID onset for SD (β = 33.56;95% CI: 28.07-40.07;p < 0.01) and SH (β = 22.43; 95% CI: 14.43-27.06;p < 0.01).Seasonal peaks were noted for SD in May and for SH in March.The CCF showed a strong simultaneous correlation (r = 0.774 at lag 0), with no lead-lag relationship.Conclusion: Public interest in sleep loss and sleep-health practices has increased substantially in India, with COVID-19 marking a major surge point.Persistent growth in SH-related searches suggests rising public interest in and awareness of preventive sleep-health practices, without implying behavioral adoption.The public-health impact of such interest depends on access to trustworthy, evidence-based digital information.
Source: Indian Journal of Sleep Medicine
Institution: Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7166820533