Sleep Patterns and Associated Insomnia in Junior and Senior Medical Students: A Questionnaire-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction

Appropriate quality and quantity of sleep are critical for good mental health, optimal body functioning, memory consolidation, and other cognitive processes.

Objectives

To evaluate the sleeping patterns of medical students in Saudi Arabia and their relationships with psychological distress.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional, self-administered, questionnaire-based study. The study included medical students from a university in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) were used to evaluate the prevalence and burden of inadequate sleep quality and insomnia in the participants.

Results

The majority of the participants was women (76.6%). Furthermore, most participants (96.2%) were aged between 18 and 24 years old, while 54.4% of the participants were in their senior year. According to the AIS scores (mean: 15.85 ± 4.52), 98.7% of the participants exhibited insomnia symptoms. The PSQI scores (mean: 9.53 ± 5.67) revealed that 70.5% of the participants had poor sleep quality. Students in their fundamental and junior years had significantly higher percentages of insomnia symptoms and poor sleep quality compared with students in their senior years.

Conclusion

The prevalence of insomnia and poor sleep quality is high among medical students. Therefore, appropriate strategies for early detection and intervention are warranted.

Keywords
Athens Insomnia Scale; Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; medical students; sleep quality