Prevalence of Sleep Disorder among Medical Students in an Eastern University in Iran

Background: Sleep disorder is mostly an early manifestation of psychological diseases. It is defined as disturbances in the regularity, quality and quantity of sleep as well as daily activity. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 200 medical students were assessed for sleep status using SHQ and GHQ questionnaires. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency) and Chi square test through the statistical package of SPSS V.16. Results: The frequency of sleep disorder among students was found to be 21.5%., which was significantly more common among older students (p<0.05), males (p=0.005), employed students (p=0.004), smokers (p=0.001), and those with other psychological disorders (p=0.001). Conclusion: Sleep disorders were higher among students who were men, smokers, or had psychological disorders, and were also employed students. Although a considerable group of medical students were found to be suffering from sleep disorders, this prevalence was lower than those reported in the previous studies.