SLEEP QUALITY AND SLEEP PARALYSIS IN PAKISTANI UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS

Background: Undergraduate medical students are exposed to huge academic loads, that’s why most of them report sleep issues including sleep paralysis and poor sleep quality.

Aim: To determine the levels of sleep quality and sleep paralysis and its association with different socio-demographic characteristics of undergraduate medical students

Methods: Analytical cross-sectional study was done on 2nd year medical students of a public sector medical college of Punjab, Pakistan in March-April 2023. A self-administered questionnaire was provided to the students containing questions about socio-educational data (age, gender and residence), index of Pittsburg sleep quality and self reported sleep paralysis.

Results: Out of 224 undergraduate medical students of 2nd year MBBS, majority were females (67%), median age of the students was 19+_2. Residence wise, 50.4% students were hostellites and 49.6% were day scholars. Sleep paralysis was present in 40.6% students. Overall, 84.4% students were having bad sleep quality. 88% of the females were bad sleepers. 87% of the hostellites were having bad sleep quality. Majority of the day scholars were having sleep paralysis.

Conclusion: Majority (84.4%) of the students were having poor sleep quality. A considerable percentage (40.6%) of students was suffering from sleep paralysis. Positive association was there between sleep paralysis and residence of students (p<.05) with majority of the day scholars having sleep paralysis. Also there was a positive association between sleep quality and gender (p<.05) with majority of the females having bad sleep quality