SLEEP PATTERNS

AMONG MEDICAL AND NON-MEDICAL STUDENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF LAHORE, 2010-11

Abstract

Background: College students experience a number of sleep problems, which
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impact academic performance, health, and mood . University students are exposed to pressures
due to academic demands. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of sleep disorders among
college students and look into their sleep patterns and life style. Design: A cross-sectional study.
Material & Method: Sample was comprised of 141 medical and non-medical students. Place
and Period of Study: The study was conducted at University of Lahore and period spanned from
Dec 2010 to April 2011. Results: The age ranged 18 to 26, with 42.6 to 57.4 Male-female ratios.
Both groups were almost similar in use of sleeping pills (medical: 97.2, non-medical: 82.2%).
They differed in percentages for studying academic books, listening MP 3 player and late night
parties/hangouts, wherein medical students outnumbered non-medical students almost by half.
Both groups differed in their usual time to sleep, medical students who sleep later than 12 pm was
higher (66.2%), compared to 46.6% non-medical. In taking day naps (medical: 70.6%, nonmedical:
37.0%), awakening due to noise often (medical: 41.2%, non-medical: 30.1%),
nightmares during sleep often (medical: 23.5%, non-medical: 19.5%) and sometimes (medical:
44.1%, non-medical: 30.1%), difficulty in falling sleep sometimes (medical: 50.0%, non-medical:
32.9%), feel sleepiness in the class often (medical: 45.6%, non-medical: 28.8%), feel tired or
sleepiness during the day (medical: 36.7%, non-medical: 23.4%). Both groups also differ
regarding worry about “sleep disturbance to some extent”. (medical:51.4%, nonmedical:35.6%).
Conclusions: Our study found that medical students had more disturbed sleep
patterns than the comparing group including delaying sleep time at night, awakening due to
noise, experiencing nightmares, difficulty in falling sleep, feeling sleepiness in the class and
during the day