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  • Friday, November 23, 2012
  • Sleep Habits And Sleep Problems Among Palestinian Students
  • Published at:Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 2011, 5:25 doi:10.1186/1753-2000-5-25
  • Authors: 
    1. Waleed M Sweileh
      Faculty of Pharmacy, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine
    2. Iyad A Ali
      Faculty Of Human Medicine, An-Najah N. University, Nablus, Palestine
    3. Ansam F Sawalha
      Poison Control and Drug Information Center (PCDIC), An-Najah National University, Nablus, Occupied Palestinian Territory
    4. Adham S Abu-Taha
      Faculty of Pharmacy, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine
    5. Sa\'ed H Zyoud
      Poison Control and Drug Information Centre, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine
    6. Samah W Al-Jabi
      Faculty of Pharmacy, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine
    Abstract: 

    Aim   The aim of this study was to describe sleep habits and sleep problems in a population of undergraduates in Palestine. Association between self-reported sleep quality and self-reported academic achievement was also investigated. Methods  Sleep habits and problems were investigated using a convenience sample of students from An-Najah National University, Palestine. The study was carried out during spring semester, 2009. A self-administered questionnaire developed based on The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV criteria and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used.
    Results    400 students with a mean age of 20.2 ± 1.3 were studied. Reported mean duration of night sleep in the study sample was 6.4 ± 1.1 hours. The majority (58.3%) of students went to bed before midnight and 18% of the total sample woke up before 6 am. Sleep latency of more than one hour was present in 19.3% of the students. Two thirds (64.8%) of the students reported having at least one nocturnal awakening per night. Nightmares were the most common parasomnia reported by students. Daytime naps were common and reported in 74.5% of the study sample. Sleep quality was reported as "poor" in only 9.8% and was significantly associated with sleep latency, frequency of nocturnal awakenings, time of going to bed, nightmares but not with academic achievement.
    Conclusion   Sleep habits among Palestinian undergraduates were comparable to those reported in European studies. Sleep problems were common and there was no significant association between sleep quality and academic achievement.

       


     
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Sa\'ed H. A. Zyoud, PhD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Toxicology
 
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