WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Maria Paula Cezar de Castro, Tainara Toledo Correa, Diogo Pantaleão, Daniel Almeida da Costa*, Leandro Raider

ABSTRACT

Introduction: During sleep, essential physiological changes occur in memory consolidation, energy restoration, thermoregulation, normalization of endocrine functions, learning and restoration of brain energy metabolism. The sleep quality of medical students attracted the interest of the scientific community in the search for answers about the possible causes of sleep disorders that occur during medical graduation. Objective: To evaluate the sleep quality of medical students before and during the test period Methods: Quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 61 medical students, of both sexes, aged between 18 and 30 years and who were attending the basic cycle (1st to 4th period). Sleep quality was assessed using the “Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Brazilian Portuguese version (PSQI-BR)” questionnaire. Excessive daytime sleepiness and its indicators were assessed using the “Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Brazilian Portuguese version (ESS-BR)”. The evaluations took place in two moments, the first being 15 days before the beginning of the tests and the second on the 4th and 5th day of the test period. Results: The comparison between the periods evaluated showed a statistical difference in relation to excessive daytime sleepiness, present in 39.3% (n=24) of the students before and 60.6% (n=37) during the tests. In the PSQI evaluation, a statistical difference was found in the perception of sleep quality, in sleep duration and latency and in daytime sleepiness and enthusiasm for performing daily tasks. Conclusion: We can infer that medical students have sleep disorders, with a reduction in sleep quality and greater excessive daytime sleepiness during the test period.

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