Insomnia in higher education: Prevalence, validation, and measurement invariance in medical sciences students

IntroductionInsomnia is a widespread health issue, as it is one of the most commonly reported health complaints and the most common sleep disorder [1].Sleeping disorders are estimated to affect 15-35% of the general public, and approximately 30% of medical students [2].A comprehensive analysis of seven studies found that insomnia affects a significant portion of students, with prevalence rates ranging from 9.4% to 38.2% [3].Moreover, Yassin et al. [4] reported an insomnia prevalence of 18.3% among medical students.Insomnia manifests as a range of sleep disturbances, including difficulty in falling asleep, staying asleep, waking up too early, or experiencing unsatisfactory sleep quality.Additionally, patients diagnosed with insomnia must also report experiencing impairment in their everyday functioning as a outcome of their sleep difficulties [5].Insomnia disorder is usually accompanied by a wide range of negative health outcomes and elevates the likelihood of developing diverse psychological issues and challenges, including depression and anxiety [6].Insomnia also significantly impairs academic performance [7].