Introduction:
Nowadays, the Internet is an indispensable tool for teaching processes at all levels, allowing real-time communication, access large databases, interacting with people synchronously and asynchronously, etc. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Internet demonstrated to be highly useful for online education, establishing a new teaching paradigm. Several reports point out that compulsive Internet use can lead to addictive behaviors, such as Internet Addiction (IA), where the person who suffers from it prefers to continue using the Internet instead of carrying out necessary and important daily activities, and shows signs and symptoms of withdrawal when they are unable to access the Internet. This addiction has a negative impact on physical and mental health, causing, just to mention a few, social isolation, a distorted perception of reality, decreased visual acuity, and sleep disorders. A study conducted in the Southeast of Mexico found an association between IA and poor sleep quality among college students, which can have repercussions on health, but especially on quality of life and daytime sleepiness, affecting academic performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between daytime sleepiness and the severity of IA among college students.

Methodology:
A cross-sectional study that included 805 healthcare students was conducted. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) were applied.

Results:
30.8 % of the students had IA, of whom 76.2 % had mild IA, 23 % had moderate IA, and almost 1 % had severe IA. The proportion of students with severe IA was higher among Odontology and Pharmaceutic Chemist Biology students, while the proportion of students with moderate IA was higher among Medicine and Rehabilitation students. The severity of IA was positively correlated with bedtime (rho = .122; p = .001), wake up time (rho = .078; p =.026), sleep latency (rho = .117; p = .001), PSQI global score (rho = .223; p < .001), the severity of daytime sleepiness (rho = .242; p < .001) and the severity of perceived stress (rho = .128; p < .001). In contrast, age (rho = −.133; p < .001) and sleep efficiency (rho = −.116; p = .001) were negatively correlated with the severity of IA.

Conclusions:
Among college students of different careers, severe IA was associated with poor sleep quality, daytime sleepiness and irregular sleep schedules. Although the Internet has been widely used for academic purposes, it could expose students to its compulsive use, leading to IA, which can negatively impact on their health. Educational plans should include teaching strategies that optimize and prioritize the rational use of the Internet.

Keywords: Internet addiction, daytime sleepiness, college students.