Chronotype change in university students in the health area with excessive daytime sleepiness

Abstract

Introduction: Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is characterized by an increased likelihood of initiating sleep at inappropriate times through involuntary naps and it negatively impacts performance in studies, work, family, and social relationships and increases the risk of accidents. Objective: This study evaluated the schedule and prevalence of EDS and its associated factors in medical students (using the PBL method), comparing it with students from other health courses (using the Traditional method). Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 1152 university students who were attending courses in the health area. The presence of EDS was defined when scores >10 in the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the chronotype was assessed by means of the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). Using Stata 13.0 software, descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed, including interactions to fit the model. Results: The prevalence of EDS was 56.5% (95% CI, 53.6-59.4), and the mean ESS score was 11.1 (95% CI, 10.8-11.3). This value was lower among those who had morning chronotypes and was higher among medical students. 10.3% (n=119) of the students had a chronotype that was incompatible with the period of the course. The associated and independent factors for EDS were: female gender (PR, 1.14, 95% CI, 1.01-1.29), age between 16 and 19 years (PR, 1.20, 95% CI, 1.04-1.39), studying late at night and using cell phones before falling asleep (PR, 1.56, 95% CI, 1.02-2.38), not doing weekly physical activity (PR, 1.13, 95% CI, 1.02-1.25), and morning chronotype (PR, 0.87, 95% CI, 0.76-0.99). Not using cell phones before bedtime reduced the prevalence of EDS by 14%. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the morning chronotype behaved as an independent protective factor for disorders of the circadian cycle. Performing weekly physical activity reduces EDS among students with intermediate and evening chronotypes.

Evaluation of the Relationship Between Chronotype, Sleep Quality and Adaptation to Mediterranean Diet in University Students: A Descriptive Study

“…34 Kintschev et al stated that students of the morning chronotype had statistically lower sleepiness scores than those with evening or intermediate-chronotypes. 25 Üzer and Yücens reported that the effect of chronotype on sleep quality was significant (effect= -0.12±0.02, p<0.001, confidence interval: 0.15, -0.09), and evening types exhibited lower sleep quality. 35 Students should be educated about individual differences in sleep-wake timing preferences so that they can understand own their chronotype and, whenever possible, plan their lessons and other activities in a manner that better fits their internal rhythms.…”

“…22,23 Additionally, while the results of many studies had revealed that the chronotypes of the students were of the intermediatetype, other studies has been reported that they were of the eveningness-type. 12,[24][25][26] No significant difference was showed between the age, gender, body weight and smoking scores of the chronotypes (p>0.05), and the groups were similar in terms of these characteristics. When the literatures were reviewed, the results of most the researcher's study by Gümüş excessive physical activity in certain frequencies and periods.…”