Sleep Quality among Medical Students of a Portuguese University

Abstract

Introduction: Sleep is a complex physiological process shared by most living beings. Sleep disorders have been increasing exponentially. University students, particularly medical students, are especially vulnerable to this problem. However, the existing literature on the subject is scarce, especially in Portugal. The aim of this study is to assess the quality of sleep among medical students attending the University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal and to analyse the differences and existing relationships according to age, gender, cohabitation status and academic year. Method: This is a cross-sectional study in which the students completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) that was previously validated for the Portuguese population. The values obtained for each component of the PSQI were initially analysed for the total sample, and then coupled with sociodemographic variables, in order to obtain statistically significant relationships. Results: Two hundred and ninety-six students completed the questionnaire. A percentage of 62.2% of them stated that their sleep was good; 42.4% scored 2 in the component 2; 50% admitted that they usually sleep between 6 and 7 hours; 73.9% of the participants showed adequate sleep efficiency; 85.5% reported little or no sleep disturbance; 83.8% reported never having used sleep medications; and 60.8% mentioned little or no daytime disturbance. As for global PSQI score, 72.6% of the students’ scores were greater than 5, which indicates poor sleep quality. 74.7% of the female participants and 67.7% of the male respondents showed poor sleep quality. 91.3% of the students who were living alone at the time also revealed poor sleep quality. Of the 1st year students, 82.4% reported poor sleep quality, as did 77.5% of the 2nd year students, 72.1% of the 3rd year students, 77.8% of the 4th year students, 65.8% of the 5th year students, and 71.4% of those attending the 6th year. Conclusion: Generally speaking, the students who took part in this study showed a poor sleep quality, with a PSQI score superior to 5. However, the ratings in each of the components are not so negative. Most of the participants rated their sleep as good or very good, almost half of the participants reported sleeping more than 7 hours and the majority had a sleep efficiency of more than 85%. Similarly, 83.8% had never used sleep medication. Since this is not a robust result, it is imperative to carry out more studies that unequivocally prove it. Moreover, such studies will also be essential to identify situations in which therapeutic intervention will improve such parameters.