Poor Sleep Quality in Medical Students is Related to Sleep Habits and Emotional Symptoms: A Pilot Study Conducted in México

Introduction and Purpose: The quality of sleep in medical students is usually poor, especially during the first years of the degree due to multiple factors. This poor-quality sleep has multiple consequences on the physical and emotional health of students in both the short and long term. The objective was to evaluate the sleep quality in a sample of first-grade medical students and its related factors. Methods: A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted in first-grade medical students of both sexes, with no history of neurological or psychiatric illness. The following evaluations were performed: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI), Epworth scale, and an emotional symptoms questionnaire Results: 100 medical students, 66 women and 34 men were included; mean age: 18.8 years; daily transportation time: 2.28 h. 77% of students showed a poor sleep quality (PSQ); hours of daily sleep: 4.74; Sleep Hygiene Index: 17.13; Epworth scale: 9.2. A significant correlation between the PSQI and SHI (Spearman r = 0.5750 p < 0.0001), and emotional symptoms (Spearman; r = 0.3170 p = 0.0053) was observed. Conclusion: A high frequency of poor sleep quality was observed in medical students during the first year of the degree (> 70%); The main factors that determine poor sleep quality in medical students are the emotional symptoms and bad sleep habits, which means that these factors can be potentially preventable and modifiable in this population. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. part of Springer Nature.