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Characterizing sleep–Wake cycles of pre-health professional students

2013; Elsevier BV; Volume: 14; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.sleep.2013.11.106

1878-5506

Muhammad Usman Ali, Raymond Chu, Stash Nastos, Sally Whelan,

Psychological and Temporal Perspectives Research

Concern regarding sleep quality among health professionals inspired our study to characterize sleep–wake cycles among pre-health professional students, who comprise the future workforce of caregivers. Set within the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) Program, McMaster University, the purpose of our study was (a) to determine chronotype- and gender-specific effects on actual sleep-time duration, sleep onset latency, and sleep efficiency, in young adults; (b) to investigate the effects of irregular sleeping patterns, and ambient light during sleep, on sleep efficiency in university students; and (c) to characterize the sleep behavior of pre- health professional students. Seventy-one students (41 M, 30 F) were studied (mean age = 21.0 yr, SD = 0.6 yr) from Oct–Nov, 2010–12. Chronotype was determined via questionnaire, and activity–rest rhythms were measured via Actiwatch® 2 (and a standardized diary) for 3–7 consecutive days (median = 5 d; SD = 0.82 d). Actiware® sleep analysis software provided the sleep-parameters data. Data were analyzed for: gender–chronotype correlation; effect of gender and chronotype on sleep parameters; and correlation between (a) ambient light exposure during sleep and (b) sleep irregularity on sleep efficiency. Actigraphy-derived sleep data were summarized, by gender and chronotype. Evening types were most common (n = 32, 45.1%), followed by intermediate types (n = 27, 38.0%), and then morning types (n = 12, 16.9%). The distribution of chronotypes was related to gender: males displayed eveningness significantly more often than females (61.0% of males vs. 20.8% of females; p = 0.006), while females exhibited greater morningness (12.2% of males vs. 23.3% of females; p = 0.006). There were no significant gender- or chronotype- specific differences on actual sleep-time duration or sleep onset latency. Females had a higher sleep efficiency (86.5%, SD = 0.8%) than males (83.4%, SD = 0.9%; p = 0.018), whereas the effect of chronotype on sleep efficiency was marginal (p = 0.051). Both ambient light exposure during sleep (R = −0.261, p = 0.028) and sleep irregularity (R = −0.337, p = 0.004) negatively correlated with sleep efficiency. Our study highlighted gender- and chronotype-specific effects on sleep parameters and the importance of regular activity–rest rhythms for sleep quality among university students. We also characterized sleep–wake cycles of pre- health professional students, to establish a baseline for to health professionals. Special thanks to the fourth-year students in the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honors) Program at McMaster University for participation in this study; Delsworth Harnish (assistant dean of the program) for his support; Marta Halytska (program student) for assistance in literature review; Guy Jennings (Bio-Lynx Scientific Equipment Inc.) for advice on Actiwatch® data; and James MacFarlane (University of Toronto) for contributions to the preparation of the manuscript.