Obligations and Behaviors That Impact Sleep in Prelicensure Baccalaureate Nursing Students

BACKGROUND: Nursing students have obligations and behaviors that impact sleep. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate sleep among prelicensure baccalaureate nursing students and describe factors that impact their sleep quality and daytime sleepiness. METHODS: Prelicensure nursing students (n = 254) completed questionnaires that included demographics; obligations and behaviors that always, sometimes, or never caused sleep loss on a daily or weekly basis; the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; the Epworth Sleepiness Scale; and the Sleep Hygiene Index. RESULTS: College classes were the most frequent reason why participants always lost sleep. Obligations of work, classes, and technology use into the night significantly predicted sleep hygiene; obligations of work, family, activity with friends, and classes significantly predicted sleep quality. CONCLUSION: There is a need for education about behaviors and obligations that impact sleep in undergraduate nursing students, along with resources to assist in coping with external stressors.