ABSTRACT
Introduction: Medical students tend to reduce their sleep, in an effort to adjust and cope with their work-load and stressful environment. This study estimated the prevalence of and the relationship between poor sleep quality and stress among medical students
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using a stratified random sample of male and female medical students in King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to assess sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the stress level by using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Results: A high prevalence of poor sleep quality [76%] and stress [53%] were found, with a statistically significant association [p < 0.001]. Logistic regression indicated that students who are not suffering from stress are less likely to have poor sleep quality [OR = 0.28, p < 0.001], and the risk of having poor sleep quality is almost four times higher in students whose cumulative grade point average [GPA] is less than 4.25 [OR = 3.83, p = 0.01]
Conclusion: The study documents a statistically significant association between stress and poor sleep quality. A recommendation for the management of medical college is to establish academic counseling centers focusing in promoting good sleep hygiene and strengthening students' study skills and coping with their stressful environment