Sleep Quality and Academic Progression among Students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Northwest of Iran

Background: Sleep deprivation and drowsiness are very common among university students. The aim of this study was to examine the sleep quality and academic achievement among university students across all medical disciplines in Northwest of Iran.

Methods: This study was based on data from a longitudinal study, the “Health and Lifestyle of University Students” (HeLiS). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a self-administered questionnaire consisting of general information about sleep quality, was completed by students during the first eight weeks of the first semester and academic achievement was assessed via Grade Point Average (GPA) in the two semesters following the administration of the PSQI.

Results: The mean age of students was 19.16±1.04 and the majority were female (64%). The mean overall score on the PSQI was 6.87±2.25; the majority of students (70%) had a global PSQI score greater than 5, indicating they were poor sleepers. Only 28% reported getting over 7 hours of sleep. Female students had higher scores than male students in subjective sleep quality, which was statistically significant (2.15 vs. 1.95 respectively, P = 0.01); however, there was no difference between males and females on other component scores or on the global score. Results of a multiple regression model showed that PSQI score was a predictor of academic achievement (β=-.07, P=0.035), which implies that GPA will be lower among students whose quality of sleep is lower.

Conclusion: Based on our sleep quality should be considered and assessed, and sleep hygiene should be promoted among medical university students in order to improve academic achievement.