Prevalence of sleep disorders among university students: A cross-sectional study assessing academic impact and association with adverse childhood experiences.

Abstract

The academic performance of university students is often influenced by various factors that are external to the individual and beyond their control, such as environmental and social conditions, as well as biological variables. A study was conducted to examine the relationship between sleep disorders, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and academic success. This study utilized a cross-sectional questionnaire-based research design and recruited participants from King Abdulaziz University (KAU) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, through a convenient sampling technique. An anonymous electronic questionnaire was distributed via Blackboard Forms through university email platforms, and the participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (EPSS), and ACEs questionnaires. Students recruited in this study were a total of 1688, 50.8% aged 20-23 years old, 58.6% were female, 88.6%, were single, and 94.4% were Saudi. Of them, 53.0% could not fall asleep within a half hour, 38.4% were waking up early in the morning or in the middle of the night three or more times a week during the past month, 75.1% could not breathe comfortably, and 75.1% had loud coughing or snoring. 53.3% of them never experienced napping while sitting quietly in public places, 74.9% while sitting and talking to another person, and 64.5% while stopping because of traffic for several minutes inside the car. It is estimated that 54.1% of individuals experienced an insult from an adult or parent, but only 33.9% reported that it had a negative impact on their health. The PSQI, EPSS, and ACE scores were 9.69 ± 3.7, 7.65 ± 4.8, and 2.57 ± 2.3, respectively. A correlation was observed to be positive between EPSS and PSQI (<i>P</i> < 0.001, <i>r</i> = 0.265), ACE and PSQI (<i>P</i> < 0.001, <i>r</i> = 0.204), and ACE and EPSS (<i>P</i> < 0.001, <i>r</i> = 0.110). Furthermore, a significant negative predictor of academic Grade point average (GPA) was found in the EPSS (<i>P</i> = 0.015, B = -0.018). The study outcomes indicated that a considerable proportion of participants encountered sleep disorders, for instance having difficulties in falling asleep in no more than half an hour, frequent wake-ups, and coughing or snoring. However, only one-third of these incidents had any impact on their health, and approximately half had no significant impact. Additionally, three-fourths of the students exhibited normal sleep patterns, and EPSS had a negative impact on their grade point average. These findings highlight the importance of addressing sleep disorders and ACEs in promoting academic success and overall well-being. The study confirmed that ACEs predict poorer academic achievement in Saudi university students, mediated partially by sleep disturbances. Students with higher ACE scores exhibited lower GPAs, with daytime sleepiness (EPSS) directly predicting reduced academic performance.