Table of Contents

Introduction and Background

Introduction
Video games
Insomnia

Background:
Research Questions
Hypothesis

Methodology

Data analysis

10

First question: Do you have sound sleep regularly?

11

Second Question: Did you ever faced problem related to insomnia?

Third Question: When do you play video games?
Fourth Question: Do you play video games?

13

15

17

Fifth Question: How addictive video games are?

19

Sixth question: Do you agree that video games puts impact on the gamers?
Summary of Primary Research Findings
Conclusion

24

References

25

21

23

Introduction and Background

Introduction
Video games are the most fascinating and joyful theme of entertainment and time pass in all
over the world. There is not a single person, who is aware of recent technology and innovation, does
not know about video games. Basically games are interactive and structured activities by which
people achieve enjoyment and entertainment and also achieve knowledge through it. There are
various types of games like Sports games, Lawn games, Tabletop games, Dexterity and Coordinated
games, Board games, Card games, Dice games, Video games and so on. As the main theme of games,
the sole purpose of video games are also providing enjoyment through education and knowledge. In
the previous decades, video games were not that famous and familiar. But as the time passed by, it
became one of the major tool of entertainment and education.

Video games
Video game is an electronic game that comprises human collaboration with an edge to generate
visual feedback on a video expedient. Video games have played a very important role in the modern era.
The history started from the end of World War 2. After Second World War, video games emerged with
interactive gaming device called Cathode Ray tube Amusement Device (Goldsmith

& Ray, 1948, p.3). Then gradually the video gaming industry expanded day by day. later in 1970s
were killer app that carried computers in the general people in a whole new level. In the 1990s, there
was various games that emerged and gained popularity like Quake, Mine craft, Super Mario bros,
MYST and so on (Aarseth, 2013). In the theme off gaming console like Nintendo Games, Capcom
Games, Sega Games have established in the 20

th

century with various two dimensional games

(Consalvo, 2006, p. 117-137). But now in present, the games have matured itself into completely
2

new level. The gaming is so much more interactive with advanced visual effects. The more
advancement in the technology is occurring, the more gaming is becoming lucrative.
There are various types of video games. It is based on interactivity, theme of visuals, and based on
gaming stations. Types of video games are action games, adventure games, role playing games,
arcade games, strategy games, and simulation games, and driving games and puzzle games.
(Caruana, Caruana & Bruner, n.d.). These games are very popular among the people who plays
games. But playing games puts both positive and negative effect on peoples mind. Playing games
make people to think sharper and cunning in situations. Video games helps to take situational
decisions. They also makes people more smart and intelligent. Video games also improves ones
analytical ability by solving those video games. In negative manner, video games puts a lot aspects in
peoples life. Video games makes people lazier, unsocial, and crates more problem in both family and
work place. Last but not least, video games creates psychological problems among the people who
plays games. The people who plays games are called gamers.

Insomnia
Insomnia is a sleeping disorder that can happen in many ways. Keeping deprived from sleep,
having sleep at the time when he or she should not sleep or having excessive sleep are sleeping
disorder. Having deprivation of sleep is called insomnia. There are acute insomnia, chronic insomnia,
comorbid insomnia, onset insomnia and maintenance insomnia (National Sleep Foundation, 2014).
This sleeping disorder is entirely a psychological problem. The people who have psychological stress
or nervousness often face insomnia.

Background:
Asia is constructed with countries of different cultures. The culture of Asia, specifically
eastern Asia is very conservative and tight regulative country. But in case of the west. The cultural
aspects are far more flexible. So there would be a vast cultural change between the gamers. In the
west there is an issue about insomnia. The majority of the working class people are getting insomnia.
More over the adolescent and the teenager peoples are also very much affected by insomnia. On the
other hand, Asian peoples are much disciplined and well mannered. They work efficiently too. So the
rate of insomniac people are also very low considering the western countries.
But now a days, the rate of insomniac people is increasing day by day. There is a very strong
reason behind it. As the globalization is occurring, the cultural mixture of east and west is increasing
dramatically. So the culture is shifting to a more conglomerate culture. People in the past were used
to get to sleep early in the night and woke up early in the morning according to our cultural
perspective. But now things are not that way, the way it was. There are some problems like
behavioral changes, change in traditions, change in morality and most importantly change in
psychology in the people. As the people of Asian culture are adapting more and more western culture
as the time is passing by, people are getting more involved in psychological problems. Even there are
some people who are getting tangled with various disorders. On those disorders, sleeping disorder is
drastically increasing in the people of Asia, to be more precisely, insomnia is increasing radically.
There are some biological and psychological aspect of insomnia. There is various kind of
reasons of insomnia. Insomnia may happen for medical trauma like head injuries, hyperthyroidism,
asthma, hypertension, coronary artery disease, arthritis, fibromyalgia, headache and low back pain,
seizures, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, kidney disease and thyroid dysfunction, among
others. There is also reasons for insomnia in case of psychiatric disease. Major depression,
generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, dementia and
4

schizophrenia, among others are mainly responsible for insomnia. Drugs which is both useful and
harmful to us like Alcohol, narcotics, amphetamines, caffeine, Reserpine, Clonidine, certain
antidepressants, steroids, L-dopa, Theophylline, nicotine and others cas cause insomnia. Even
sleeping disorders can root insomnia in ones mind. Sleep apnea, nocturnal myoclonus, periodic leg
movements in sleep, phase advance sleep disorder, phase delay sleep disorder, sleep state
misperception and nightmares can affect in peoples sleep which is indirectly responsible for
insomnia. Poor sleep habits like extended time in bed or irregular sleep schedule can put a reason for
insomnia. Lastly and most importantly Stress, bereavement, unfamiliar sleep environment, jet lag,
shift work, bed partner or a poor sleeping environment can cause insomnia (Factors that contribute
to insomnia, 2001).
As there are also some reasons of insomnia, there is solutions too. According too Wilson and
Nutt (2007), Management of insomnia is an interesting subject at present. New drug treatments are
now becoming available after a relatively static period available after a relatively static period since
the development of the Z-drugs in the1990s.Moreover, more evidence is coming to light about the
length of drug treatment and the effectiveness of psychological therapies. This article briefly
describes current treatments, both evidence-based and common practice, evidence-based and
common practice, and goes onto describe some emerging approaches (p. 195). The approach to
prevent insomnia is to provide drug support like GABA-A receptor drugs, Antidepressants,
Antihistamines, Antipsychotics, Melatonin receptor drugs etc. But these drugs will not help without
psychological therapy of insomnia (Wilson & Nutt, 2007, p. 195-197).
Because of the cultural shift, there is a trend in the people of Asia, especially for Bangladeshi
people in case of entertainment is video games. It is very interactive theme of passing time in leisure
hours. But video games is being used not only in leisure time but it is hampering the other times.
According to Eklund & Johansson (2013), Gamers cannot control the social situations but are left in

the hand of design tools which cannot offer the same nuanced control or ruling as user controlled
norm structures and communities. (p. 50). So there is an issue of socialization in the games. There is
an indirect relation about socialization in gamers and the issue that relates these is addiction of
gamers. Even in Taiwan, the children and teens face complications due to game addictions. (Chiu,
Lee & Huang, 2004, p. 571-581). So addiction in games is very immense in the teen and children.
There is no exception in case for the children and teens in case of Bangladesh. In the further of the
research we will also see weather video games is addictive or not to the Bangladeshi gamers.
Video games are making various problems due to this addictiveness about the gamers in
video games. One of the problem that creating casualties is insomnia. As we learned about the causes
of insomnia, stress makes insomnia (Factors that contribute to insomnia, 2001). Video game is a tool
to get huge amount of stress in both physically and mentally. Sleep disturbances are caused, in part,
by overstimulation of the brain. However, some people can't get a good night's sleep simply because
they think obsessively about the game they're playing (Video Game Addiction, n.d.)
Moreover insomnia can happen to the gamers because of playing excessive video games.
Three are various reasons that gamers play games. They want to get relieved from various problems
related to personal, social issues and technological issues. The personal reasons can be family affairs,
human and psychological behavior in the adolescent time, and proper caring of children and teens
etc. Social issues can be proper friendship, being isolated from the friend because of being introvert
and so on. In addition technological advancement can also cause the gamers insomnia. As the
technological advancement making games more updated features in visual graphics and sound
effects. So the games become more lucrative than before. So it is almost impossible to leave the
game and to go to sleep in the proper time. So I think and I believe for these reasons video gamers
are getting insomniac.

Research Questions
In my research, I plan to investigate how people thinks that video games are the cause of insomnia
among gamers and also give the scientific and psychological reasoning of this topic. To that end I
will be addressing these following research questions.
1

What is video games?

Who are gamers?

What is addiction?

What is insomnia?

What are the aspects of insomnia in psychological point of view?

What are the causes and effects of insomnia?

How video games are responsible to make gamers insomniac?

Which group of people are mainly having insomnia by playing video games?

Hypothesis
The technological advancement in recent few decades has possibly made a significant change in
video gaming. But a change in a thing or a being can be both positive and negative. Video games has
already made its positive position in gamers mind. But the negative effect is that insomniac
syndrome has significantly found in gamers latest scientific and psychological reports and journals
have noted about games as the cause of sleeping disorder.
The major outcome about this research paper that in my primary research, I would find that video
games are most momentous cause of insomnia. As the side effect of playing games, gamers will be
more willing to accept the idea. Moreover, the primary research would understand what I am trying
to understand the side effect of insomnia. So, I want to find out exactly how the gamers respond to
my research and retrieve possible feedback and complete my research through primary and
secondary researches.

Methodology
For my primary research I plot to do a survey with receiving data that consist of representative
sampling of 10 gamers, 8 guardian of the gamers, 12 educated general public which includes
students, psychologists, doctors and educated people in Dhaka. This sampling of data will be divided
category or categories to acquire data with variance of response. I will also develop a questionnaire
to get a range of data that would be essential to get the answer which would math my hypothesis.
And I want to take interview of the affected gamers, parents of the gamers and psychologists.
For my secondary research, I want to use books, journal, articles and encyclopedia from the library. I
will also want to get the secondary research data in websites, blogs, review of psychologists and
psychiatrists in websites, gaming forum and fan page. This would include the following resources:
I.

Sue Wilson & and David Nutt, Management of insomnia: treatments and mechanisms.

URL: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/191/3/195.full
II. Sateja MJ, Doghramji K, Hauri PJ & Morin CM, Evaluation of chronic insomnia. An American
Academy of Sleep Medicine review. URL:http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/10737342
61.

Games Radar, URL: http://www.gamesradar.com/?page=2

IV.

PCGAMERS, URL: http://www.pcgamer.com/forum

22.

NeoGAF, URL: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/forumdisplay.ph

Data analysis
In the data analysis, I want to show my results of my primary research. I have conducted my
primary research by questionnaires to some people who are very important for my research. Among
those people I emphasized are gamers, students, parents of the gamers and some normal individuals.
I have made a survey of the questionnaires. I have surveyed 30 questionnaires. The questionnaires
there were 10 questions. Two of them were open ended questions and rest of them were close ended
questions. Among 10 questions, 6 of them I have selected to make a data analysis and make the
match of the analysis with the hypothesis. The demographics of the questionnaire is, 60 percent of
the male completed the questionnaire and 40 percent of females completed the questionnaire. In the
age limit, people who were below 18 was 13 percent, between 18, 25 percent were astoundingly 70
percent and age 40 and age of 26 to 39 was 17 percent. No one of age 40 and above did not filled the
questionnaire. The data analysis of the 6 questions are given in the following pages.

10

First question: Do you have sound sleep regularly?

Fig 1: Graphical analysis of first question: Do you have sound sleep regularly?
The pie chart in the above shows that the proportion of having sleep among the respondents.
The pie chart is divided by the options sleep sound regularly, sleep sound but not regularly, sleep
regularly and do not sleep regularly. The graph also shows that the response of the question is
proper in every option.
In the graph, the most popular option is do not sleep regularly. The percentage of the
respond is 30 percent. This describes that most of the respondents who plays video games do not
sleep regularly. The second most popular in the graph is sleep sound but not regularly. It has the
percentage of 27 which is almost close to the popular option. These percentage of the both options
shows that the gamers and the people who play video games face sleeping disturbance.

11

The lowest responds of the option is sleep sounds regularly, which have the percentage rate
of 20. These people were among students and the parents of the gamers. That is why people who
selected this response had their sleep well. The option sleep regularly has the closer percentage of
23 and the group of respondents are similar to the criteria of sleep sounds regularly.
The above pie chart has the graphical presentation is very well manner and the graphical
comparison was very beautifully. This question is very essential to prove the hypothesis of this
research.

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Second Question: Did you ever faced problem related to insomnia?

Fig 2: Graphical analysis of the second question: Did you ever faced problem related to
insomnia?
The above bar chart illustrates the graphical comparison of the responds of the respondents of
the questionnaire who have whether faced insomnia or not. In the graph, the options are aligned in
the vertical axis. In the horizontal line, the percentage of the respondents who responded are shown
in the graph.
The maximum respondents that selected the option is the people who faced insomnia directly.
The percentage of the response is 40 percent of the respondents. Because of that the bar faced
directly of the chart reached the top of the chart. Substantially people who have faced insomnia
indirectly has the minimum percentage of 27 percent. So the people who have faced insomnia has
bigger percentage and the summation of the percentage is 67 percent.

13

On the other hand, the people who have never faced insomnia is second biggest in the bar
chart. The out of a hundred the rate of 33 people has never faced insomnia in the survey. So they are
the people who did not played video games that much.
This is the most important and crucial question for the research. More importantly, the
research is nearly proven by the response of this research question. The bar chart clearly describes
that the majority of the respondents face insomnia both directly and indirectly.

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Third Question: When do you play video games?

Fig 3: Graphical analysis of the third question: When do you play video games
regularly?
The above histogram describes that time of the people who plays video games. There is some
time frame in the option that might play video games when they play video games. In the histogram,
the options are given in the horizontal axis of the graph. In the vertical axis, there are percentage of
the responses of the respondents. The time frame options of the question are at morning, at
afternoon, at night, at weekend and at free time.
The majority of the retorts is on the option of playing on the free time. The percentage is 37
percent out of the thirty respondents. The second highest bar in the histogram is on the option that
people play video games at night. I wanted in the survey question that people who play video games
should have use the option at night but I think that will be suffice for the that the second largest of
the demographics play video games at night.

15

The lowest of the response was to play video games at morning. The percentage of the
response of the respondents were only 3 percent out of thirty of respondents. The closer option in
case of the low response is option at afternoon which is 7 percent of the thirty respondents.
The option at weekend is in the middle range of response in the range of the option. Of all
the respondents, 23 percent people chose this option. These group of people plays video games often
or rarely. These people are not the people I am targeting on.
In conclusion, most of the respondents in this question responded that they play on the free
time of the day and in the night. But the research question does not plays an important role to match
the hypothesis, but it creates the step to achieve the research goals.

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Fourth Question: Do you play video games?

Fig 4: Graphical analysis of the fourth question: Do you play video games?
The above pie chart shows the graphical explanation of how frequent a person play video
games. The options of the questions were rarely, often, regularly and excessively. There are
some graphical deviation among the options, which is clearly visible in the graph. For that reason,
respondents are showing multiple point of view in this question.
In the graph, we can clearly see that, majority of the respondents play video games regularly.
Their day to day life leads with video games. Of all the respondents, 33 percent of them play video
games regularly. So the majority of the population in the respondents are the gamers who play video
games regularly. They are the core target of the research.
The fewer populace of the respondents play video games over exceedingly. These video
gamers often face many problems related to insomnia. It is essential for them to play video games.
The pie chart illustrates that out of hundred, only 13 people would play excessively among the
respondents.
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The moderate rate of the respondents in on both option rarely and often. These people fells
in the category of students and general publics. Due to study and other undertakings these people
does not have that much to play video games. Each of the options has the 27 of one hundredth.
The overall majority is on those respondents who play video games is rarely and often. The
cumulative percentage is 54 percent. But the rest of the 46 percent of the respondents play video
games regularly and exceedingly. So these people are the main directed people who can accomplish
the goal of this research.
In assumption, the dominant of the pie chart is the people who play video games regularly.

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Fifth Question: How addictive video games are?

Fig 5: Graphical analysis of the fifth question: How addictive video games are?
The above histogram shows the range and the limit of addiction in case of the gamers. In the
histogram, the percentage of the respondents on the vertical axis. In the horizontal axis, the options
of the questions are given. The options of the question are providing a range of addictiveness of
video games to the respondents. The option of the questions are extremely addictive, very
addictive, neutral, not so addictive and not addictive at all.
The majority of the respondents thinks that video games are extremely addictive. In fact the
half of the population of the respondents believes that video games are exceedingly addictive. In
another words, 50 percent of the respondents thinks that video games are extremely addictive. This
response of the question is very important for the research. This questions response made half dome
for the research. So this questions makes the agreement that video games are addictive.

The second most response in the question is that video games are very addictive for the
gamers and those people who play video games. Out of the hundred, only 24 percent of the people
thinks that video games are very addictive. So the population still thinks that video games is still
obsessive for the respondents. The cumulative percentage who thinks that video games is
astoundingly 74 percent.
In the rest of the respondents, 10 percent thinks that games are not that addictive and only 3
percent thinks that is not addictive at all. The people thinks that video games does not put any effect
is 13 percent. So in the histogram, they do not show any significance in graphical analysis.
In conclusion, the histogram shows that video games are extremely and very addictive to the
gamers and general publics.

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Sixth question: Do you agree that video games puts impact on

the gamers?

Fig: Graphical analysis of the sixth question: Do you agree that video games puts
impact on the gamers?
The above pie chart shows that proportion of the response of the respondents of the questions.
In the pie chart, there are some well-defined options that is arranged in the pie chart very
proportionately. The options of the question of the survey is strongly agree, puts positive and
negative impact, agree but puts only positive impact, agree but puts negative impact and last but
not the least, strongly disagree, puts neither positive or negative impact.
The mainstream of the responses of the respondents in option strongly agree, puts positive
and negative impact, which is amazingly maximum in the rate of respondents. The percentage of the
respondents in this case of option is remarkably 80. That means that students, gamers and general
public think that video games have impact in both positive and negative way.

2
1

On the other hand, the minimum response goes that video games makes negative effect for
the gamers. The minimum population thinks that games do only negative effect for the gamers. Out
of hundred only 3 percent thinks that video games are totally bad for the gamers.
On contradiction, the 4 percent of the respondents think that games video games only makes
positive impact for the gamers. So these populace of the respondents think that games does all good
for the gamers, there is nothing bad for the gamers when they play video games.
In addition, the 13 percent of the respondents thinks that video games does not provide any
kind of effect on the gamers. The impact on the gamer in case of video games in null.
In supposition, the bulk of the respondents responded to the theme that video games put an
enormous effect on gamers in both edge of positivity and negativity. This question of the survey is
immensely important to match the hypothesis with the research questions.

Summary of Primary Research Findings

In the graphs of the primary research questions survey shows various aspects that proves my
hypothesis. The majority of the age group is below 18 and from 18 to 25. In these age groups the
majority plays video games regularly or excessively. So that means that the majority of the
population are gamers. That proves that the survey questions targeted the right people that should
prove the hypothesis.
On the other hand, most of the respondents of the primary research which is on the same age
criteria and game frequency criteria has problem related insomnia. Moreover they have also irregular
sleep and face insomnia both directly and indirectly.
In accumulation, most of the respondents thinks that video games has the effect of a double
edged sword. In other words, video games put both positive and negative effect to the gamers.
Through my primary research, I have found that people who play video games regularly and
excessively has problem related sleep, in another words, insomnia. So my hypothesis matched the
primary research questions. And thus, my hypothesis is proven.

23

Conclusion
To conclude the research paper, video games are truly making impact on the gamers of our
countries. It is also affecting the normal way of life, the way every person should undergo when they
live in society. As the research paper has focused on a narrower issue regarding video games, it has
put a light of the whole situation in gamers. The research also concluded in the issue that video
games is truly responsible for creating insomnia among the gamers. Moreover, the research paper is
not also encouraging people to prevent video gaming. But we are making a sensation that convincing
people that it is essential make a balance of playing video games and having a timely sleep. As we
have already mentioned in the background, there is a cure for insomnia, those people who have
already got effected by insomnia by playing video games. So there is no need to worry about the
issue. But if we do not get serious about the issue, this could lead to a much bigger problem for us,
both individually and socially. As video games making gamers insomniac, we should be cautions to
prevent it.

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Aarseth, E. (2013). Game history: a special issue. Game Study, 13(2). Retrieved from
http://gamestudies,org/1302/articles/eaarseth
Caruana, V., Caruana, C. & Bruner, C. (n.d.). Types of video games. Focus on The Family. Retrieved
from

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/protecting_your_family/parents-guide-to-

video-games/types-of-video-games.aspx
Chiu, S., Lee, J. & Huang, D. (2004). Video Game Addiction in Children and Teenagers in Taiwan.
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psychology

&

Behaviour.

7(5),

571-581.

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https://www.sfu.ca/cmns/courses/2011/325/class/13zachary/3_final_project/Misc_files/Video
%20Game%20Addiction%20in%20Taiwan.pdf.
Consalvo, M. (2006). Console video games and global corporations: Creating s hybrid culture. New
Media Society, 8(1), 117-137. doi:10.1177/1461444806059921
Eklund, L. & Johansson, M. (2013). Played and designed sociality in massive multiplayer online
game. Eludamos. Journal for Computer Game Culture. 7(1), 35-54. Retrieved from
http://www.eludamos.org/index.php/eludamos
Factors that contribute to insomnia. (2001). Medical or psychiatric illness, sleep disorders,
medications, environmental factors and poor sleep habits can all contribute to insomnia.
American

Psychological

Association.

32(9),

20.

Retrieved

from

https://books.apa.org/monitor/oct01/insomnia.aspx
Goldsmith, T. T. Jr., Ray, M. E. (1948) Cathode-Ray tube amusement device. United States Patent.
Retrieved from http://www.google.com/patents/US24559992
National

Sleep

Foundation.

(2014)

Characterization

of

Insomnia,

retrieved

from

http://sleepfoundation.org/insomnia/what-is-insomnia/types

25

Video Game Addiction. (n.d.). Physical Consequences of Gaming Addiction. Retrieved from
http://www.video-game-addiction.org/physical-consequences.html
Wilson, S. & Nutt, D. (2007). Management of insomnia: treatments and mechanism. British Journal
of Psychiatry, 191, 195-197. doi:10.1199/bjp.bp.107.036301

26