Sleep quality, insomnia symptoms and academic performance on medicine students

Abstract

Introduction: Sleep quality and Insomnia symptoms could affect abilities like work or learning. Medicine curricula involves a lot of theoretical and memory content. Sleep disorders can disrupt academic performance. Tobacco, alcohol, drugs, age, obesity, hormones and others biological, mental, environmental and social factors are related to increase poor sleep quality and insomnia symptoms incidence. University students are a vulnerable population to develop sleep disorders

Objective: The goal was to relate sleep quality and insomnia symptoms with academic performance of first year students of surgeon medical career in Yucatan.

Method: A cross-sectional study was developed, which included 118 first year regular students from Medicine School of the Autonomous University of Yucatan, Mexico. Participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), AUDIT test and epidemiological data. Academic performance was assessed by grades earned on written exams and approved courses.

Results: 65 men (19.15 ± 1.60 years) and 53 women (18.98 ± 1.23 years) were included. 98.11% of women and 90.76% of men perceived poor sleep quality. No association was found between sleep quality and academic performance. 73% of women and 66% of men were classified with insomnia symptoms. 50.94% of women and 44.61% of men had poor academic performance. Poor academic performance was related with mild (p = 0.0035) and moderate (p = 0.031) insomnia symptoms only in women. In men, insomnia symptoms was related to body mass index and living out of a family home.

Conclusions: A great majority of students perceived poor sleep quality and insomnia symptoms. In women, insomnia symptoms adversely affect academic performance.