The Role of Circadian Rhythms Among Medical Students in Time Management Organization and Academic Achievement

Abstract

Time management is one of the biggest problems of medical students. In this study, we examined the circadian rhythms of medical students and factors which may affect academic performance: perceived stress, sleep quality, time management. Students answered a Morningness-Eveningness questionnaire, the Time Management Personal Assessment questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Perceived Stress Scale questionnaire. The correlation (R=0.87) between chronotype and GPA (P<0.001) showed a higher GPA in students with morning chronotypes. The PSQI analysis demonstrated 47% of the students had poor sleep quality; a correlation (R= -0.56) between the PSQI and GPA (p< 0.04), supporting a link between higher GPA and good sleep. Results also showed a correlation (R=0.59) between time management and GPA (p< 0.01), implying that the students with excellent time management skills (17%) had excellent GPAs. Chronotypes, quality of sleep and time management, influence GPA and can be used as a guidance tool for academic advisors. UDC IntroductionTime management is one of the biggest problems of medical students. Good time management skills such as setting goals and monitoring the use of time can facilitate productivity and minimize stress, contributing to work effectiveness, maintaining balance and academic success (Al Khatib, 2014). Balduf (2009) recognized that poor time management skills can affect academic achievement negatively. Britton and Tesser (1991) found that the undergraduate students identified time management as their most pressing problem, which lead to anxiety, stress and poor sleep habits, and have a damaging effect on health and performance (Schneiderman et al., 2005). Not all time management methods work for everyone; (it depends on individual circadian rhythms (chronotypes). Understanding which circadian type is predominant in the body can help to assess what schedule is best. Laboratory studies which were conducted among medical students by Medeiros et al. (2001) showed that the irregularity of the sleep-wake cycle, the sleep deprivation, and internal desynchronization could be causing increased stress, and the stress could be influencing students' academic performances. Our body has daily rhythms of hormone concentrations, core temperature, and the sleep-wake cycle, all of which have wide spread effects on the function of the entire body (Saper et al., 2005). This rhythm is known as the circadian rhythm and is controlled by an internal body clock. Widely acknowledged individual differences in circadian rhythms, commonly called morningness and eveningness, indicate preferences associated with morning or evening activities. A morning chronotype is often awake between 6 AM and 10 PM and is most energetic in the morning. The evening chronotype is often awake between 9 AM and 1 AM and is most energetic in the afternoon and in the evening (Allebrandt et al., 2014). Studies conducted at the University of Zurich led by Steven Brown (Roenneberg, 2012) showed that the natural biologica...

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