Daytime sleepiness and sleep quality in physical therapy students

Abstract

Objectives: To outline a sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness profile of physical therapy undergraduate students, in order to identify the sleep disturbances prevalence in the analyzed sample. Methods: A total of 260 physical therapy students were interviewed through Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Results: We observed that 48% (n=124) of the interviewed showed PSQI scores ≥ 5. About the ESS, 28% (n=74) of the participants exhibited excessive daytime sleepiness classified between the three levels. Conclusion: In this study, it was demonstrated that physical therapy students minimize their sleep quality. Considering the role of the sleep in the subject life, inadequate sleep quality affects the quotidian and academic commitments. Therefore, further studies are needed to identify mechanisms that modify sleep normal function.