Download PDF
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Sleep Sci 2022; 15(S 02): 347-354
DOI: 10.5935/1984-0063.20210011
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Sleep quality, stress level and COVID-19 in university students; the forgotten dimension

Eptehal Dongol
1   South Valley University, Qena Faculty of Medicine, Sleep disorders unit - Qena - Egypt.
2   South Valley University, Qena Faculty of Medicine - Qena - Egypt.
,
Kerollos Shaker
1   South Valley University, Qena Faculty of Medicine, Sleep disorders unit - Qena - Egypt.
2   South Valley University, Qena Faculty of Medicine - Qena - Egypt.
3   Qena Student Research Association (QSRA) - Qena - Egypt.
,
Ahmed Abbas
1   South Valley University, Qena Faculty of Medicine, Sleep disorders unit - Qena - Egypt.
2   South Valley University, Qena Faculty of Medicine - Qena - Egypt.
3   Qena Student Research Association (QSRA) - Qena - Egypt.
,
Ahmed Assar
4   Menoufia University, Faculty of Medicine - Shebin El-Kom - Menoufia - Egypt.
,
Mohamed Abdelraoof
5   Mansoura University, Faculty of Medicine - Mansoura - Egypt.
,
Emad Saady
1   South Valley University, Qena Faculty of Medicine, Sleep disorders unit - Qena - Egypt.
2   South Valley University, Qena Faculty of Medicine - Qena - Egypt.
3   Qena Student Research Association (QSRA) - Qena - Egypt.
,
Amr Hassan
2   South Valley University, Qena Faculty of Medicine - Qena - Egypt.
,
Omar Youssef
1   South Valley University, Qena Faculty of Medicine, Sleep disorders unit - Qena - Egypt.
2   South Valley University, Qena Faculty of Medicine - Qena - Egypt.
3   Qena Student Research Association (QSRA) - Qena - Egypt.
,
Mohamed Essam
1   South Valley University, Qena Faculty of Medicine, Sleep disorders unit - Qena - Egypt.
2   South Valley University, Qena Faculty of Medicine - Qena - Egypt.
3   Qena Student Research Association (QSRA) - Qena - Egypt.
,
Maysa Mahmoud
1   South Valley University, Qena Faculty of Medicine, Sleep disorders unit - Qena - Egypt.
2   South Valley University, Qena Faculty of Medicine - Qena - Egypt.
3   Qena Student Research Association (QSRA) - Qena - Egypt.
,
Guy Leschziner
6   King’s College London, sleep disorders center - London - United Kingdom.
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
Also available at
   Permissions and Reprints
Zoom Image

ABSTRACT

Introduction: COVID-19 is a novel pandemic that has had a profound impact on global physical and psychological health. We aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on stress, sleep quality, and insomnia among South Valley University students in Egypt during the quarantine period.

Material and Methods: A questionnaire, including the Pittsburgh sleep quality index, the insomnia severity index, the perceived stress scale and COVID-19 fear index was distributed to the undergraduate students through the online platforms of South Valley University during the period of 1st to 15th June 2020.

Results: Of a total respondent sample of 2,474 students, 24.5% had high-perceived stress levels, 31.3% had clinical insomnia, and about 80% were identified as generally poor sleepers by the PSQI. Being female, having a chronic disease, having a sleep disorder before the quarantine, or consuming caffeine were the main factors associated with high stress levels, clinical insomnia, and poor sleep quality. Also, levels of fear of COVID-19 were higher among people with high stress levels, clinical insomnia, and poor sleep quality. Conclusion: Considerable levels of stress and poor sleep quality were identified among undergraduate university students during the pandemic/home isolation period. The effect was more obvious among certain demographic groups and among the students who scored higher in the fear of COVID-19 scale.

Keywords:

Undergraduate Students - Sleep Quality - Insomnia - Fear - Coronavirus


Publication History

Received: 10 February 2021

Accepted: 05 April 2021

Article published online:
01 December 2023

© 2023. Brazilian Sleep Association. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda.
Rua do Matoso 170, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 20270-135, Brazil