Comparison of Daytime Sleepiness in Medical University Students Using Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)

Abstract

Sleep is a naturally recurring state of rest for the mind and body. There are several stressful factors students face during university life that may trigger sleep disorders. Abnormal sleep can affect learning activities and can be associated with both medical and psychiatric illnesses. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 276 participants randomly, 206 females and 70 males, between the ages of (16-60) using Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). ESS is a questionnaire that requires subjects to grade their level of sleepiness in eight situations commonly encountered in daily life. Collected data was analyzed by the SPSS version 16.0 (SPSS, Inc. Chicago, IL). Out of the total sample, 20% had a sleep score between 0-6, 16% had a sleep score of 7-8, and 64% had a sleep score of >9. Higher scores (>9), indicated the possibility that the individual will fall asleep during the daytime. The scores showed positive skewness for Q4 (As a passenger in a car for an hour or more) and Q5 (Lying down in the afternoon); and negative skewness for Q8 (Stopped for a few minutes in traffic). The study showed significant difference in gender and total sleep time between EDS groups (Excessive Day time Sleepiness) and Non-EDS (No Excessive Day time Sleepiness). Medical students tend to sacrifice their sleep to fulfill the requirements of their challenging profession that requires extensive practice and knowledge. An increase in ESS scores indicates that they are vulnerable to fatigue and impairment of function due to sleep disturbances.