Prevalence of sleep disorders among Medical Students of Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Background Sleep disorders are a common medical problem and can affect health and quality of life. There are multiple types of sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, restless legs/periodic limb movement disorder, circadian rhythm disorders, sleepwalking and nightmares. Medical students appear to be more liable to develop sleep disorders due to their high academic load. Design and Methods This study seeks to estimate the prevalence of sleep disorders among Umm Al-Qura University medical students and associated risk factors. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine of Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. A self administrated questionnaire was used to collect the data including socio-demographic data and sleep-50 questionnaire. Four hundred and thirty-eight (438) medical students from the second year to the sixth year were recruited to the study Results Three hundred and twenty-three participants (73.8%) complained of at least one sleep disorder. The most prevalent sleep disorder among students was narcolepsy at 226 (51.6%). Female students, second year students and students spending significant time watching television or on smartphones were more affected than others with p values of 0.001, 0.005, and 0.004 respectively. Conclusions Sleep disorders are common among medical students. It is essential to detect and address them before their condition deteriorates.