SLEEP PROBLEMS AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS OF TAIF UNIVERSITY, SAUDI ARABIA
Abstract
Background: Sleep disorders are acknowledged as a serious public health issue with far- reaching psychological and social ramifications. The aims of the study were to examine the prevalence of sleep disorders among Taif medical students, Saudi Arabia and investigate any association between sleep disorder and academic performance. Materials & Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 285 Saudi male and female medical students from first to six years in Taif University, Saudi Arabia, selected by simple random sample. A self-administered questionnaire using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to collect data. The data were collected and analyzed using SPSS Program version 25. Result: Out of a total of 285 participants, males were 154 (54%) while female 131 (36%). The student's age range were 18-25 years. Furthermore, 132 (46.6%) reported their sleep quality to be either very or fairly bad; 157 (55.1%) reported taking more than 30 min to fall asleep; 141 (49.5%) reported sleeping >5 hours per night; 12 (4.2%) reported adequate sleep efficiency and 23 (8.1%) reported no sleep disturbances. In addition, 233 (81.8%) reported not using sleeping medication; and 47 (16.5%) reported having a severe daily dysfunction. Finally, the male students were higher among the poor sleeper group compared with female students. Conclusion: It appears that medical students are more likely to experience sleep disorders compared to other university students. First, second, and third-year students are affected more than students in other class years due to poorer subjective sleep quality. Effective health education intervention programs should be implemented to decrease sleep disorders among medical students.