Assessment of Sleep Quality Amongst the Undergraduate Nursing Students at a Medical College in Ghorahi, Dang, Nepal: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Sleep disorders, affecting nearly one-tenth of adults globally, present in an exacerbated manner in nursing students due to stress, lifestyle, and shift work. Despite numerous studies on sleep quality, data on early-year undergraduate nursing students remain scarce. This study aims to evaluate the sleep quality and its sociodemographic determinants in the undergraduate nursing students.

Methods: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted amongst the first and second-year undergraduate nursing students at the School of Nursing, Rapti Academy of Health Sciences. After obtaining ethical clearance, the sociodemographic profile of the participants was collected using a proforma, and sleep characteristics were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Prevalence of poor sleep (with 95% confidence intervals) was determined, and its distribution across various sociodemographic characteristics was described.

Results: Among the total 62 participants, with the mean age of 22.2 ± 3.9 years, 98.4% were female. Most of the participants were from Lumbini Province (69.4%), enrolled in BSc Nursing (61.3%), and were in their first year (53.2%). Poor sleep quality (PSQI >5) was observed in 21.6% (95% CI: 11.7%–33.2%), with borderline sleep quality in 16.1%. Poor sleep quality was more prevalent among second-year students (27.6%) and those living at home (22.7%).

Conclusion: Poor sleep quality in nursing students was found to be influenced by marital status, year of study, and living arrangements, stressing the need for targeted interventions to improve sleep hygiene and student well-being early on.