Sleep quality and chronotype of nursing students

Abstract

Objective  To verify the quality of sleep, chronotype, and health characteristics associated with the sleep quality of students.

Methods  Descriptive, observational, and cross-sectional study with 204 undergraduate nursing students (age group 18-29 years, 91.6% female). A questionnaire was used for sociodemographic and health characterization. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Questionnaire and the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire were applied to verify the sleep quality and identify the chronotype, respectively. The association between health variables and sleep quality was analyzed.

Results  The majority of students was identified with preference for the indifferent chronotype (56.37%) and poor sleep quality (84.31%). There was an association between being a student and working, with symptoms of poor digestion, headache, daytime sleepiness and insomnia.

Conclusion  Nursing students have poor sleep quality and preference for the indifferent chronotype. Those who accumulate the study/work functions, present more symptoms of poor digestion, headache, daytime sleepiness and insomnia.

Students nursing; students, health occupations; Sleep; Circadian rhythm/physiology