Open Access
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Sleep Sci 2024; 17(S 01): S1-S89
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1811803
Sleep Science Supplement 2024

Evaluation of Sleep Quality Among Medical Students: Investigation and Implications for Academic Well-Being

Authors

  • Lara Lima Dias Boechat Salles

    1   Instituto de Educação Médica, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

  • Aila Crissia Alves Oliveira

    1   Instituto de Educação Médica, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

  • Rodrigo Moura Mergulhão

    1   Instituto de Educação Médica, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

  • Igor Bueno Kreszow

    1   Instituto de Educação Médica, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

  • Diana Balassiano Sapir

    1   Instituto de Educação Médica, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

  • Victor Santos Macabu Moraes

    1   Instituto de Educação Médica, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

  • Bernardo Rocha Carneiro Castelli

    1   Instituto de Educação Médica, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

  • Mariana Pettersen Soares

    1   Instituto de Educação Médica, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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Keywords

medical student - sleep - deprivation - outcome

Introduction: Sleep deprivation is a common ailment among medical students due to the intense academic demands. An ideal sleep-wake cycle, alternating between NREM and REM stages, typically features a 90-120 minute NREM phase. However, in sleep-deprived individuals, this period is drastically reduced to 20-30 minutes, leading to short- and long-term physical and cognitive repercussions. This study examines the sleep quality of medical students, investigating these implications and their consequences.

Objective: This study aims to assess the impact of sleep deprivation on the lives of medical students from a private medical school in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Methods: The study participants were medical students in the 1st and 5th periods, totaling 70 students. All participants read and agreed to the informed consent form. Data collection was conducted through an online self-report questionnaire from March to April 2024, comprising 35 questions, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), which considers a score > 5 indicative of poor sleep quality. The results were analyzed in absolute and relative terms and organized into graphs and tables using Excel.

Results: The participants, with a mean age of 22.25 years (SD ±6.98), revealed a concerning level of poor sleep quality: 81.43% had PSQI scores > 5. Approximately 45.7% reported taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at least once a week. The ability to maintain enthusiasm for daily activities was impaired in 88.6% of the students. The use of psychostimulants to enhance academic performance was observed in 14.28% of cases. Regarding sleep medications, 51.2% did not use them, while 48.8% resorted to them 1 to 3 times per week.

Conclusion: Students using psychostimulants exhibited PSQI scores indicative of poor sleep quality. Anxiety, depression, and reduced immunity demonstrated a significant relationship with sleep deprivation, identified as a limiting factor in academic performance, daily activities, and physical health. Therefore, it is imperative to implement interventions aimed at improving sleep quality among medical students, emphasizing the necessity for physicians to care for themselves as well as their patients.


No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).

Publication History

Article published online:
16 September 2025

© 2025. Brazilian Sleep Academy. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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