SLEEP QUALITY AND SLEEPINESS AMONG BEGINNING DENTISTRY STUDENTS AT A PRIVATE INSTITUTION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Due to the heavy workload and demands for high performance among dentistry students, sleep disorders are common, especially in the initial years of the course. These disorders can be exacerbated by external factors, such as during the Covid-19 pandemic. The aim of the study was to associate sociodemographic and academic factors with sleep quality and sleepiness among beginning dentistry students at a private institution during the Covid-19 pandemic. The cross-sectional and analytical study collected data online, between November and December 2021, with students regularly enrolled in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd year of the Undergraduate Dentistry Course at the Centro Universitário do Espírito Santo (UNESC), Colatina (ES), Brazil. The data collection instruments used were: a sociodemographic and academic questionnaire, sleep quality (Pittsburg sleep quality index) and sleepiness (Epworth sleepiness scale). Analysis was carried out using absolute (n) and relative (%) frequencies and the Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test (p<0.05). 115 students took part. Sleep disturbance had a prevalence of 39.1% and abnormal sleepiness was 88.7%. Third-year students had a higher prevalence of poor sleep quality, and second-year students had more sleep disorders (p=0.03). It was concluded that there was a high prevalence of poor sleep quality and abnormal sleepiness, and an association between sleep quality and the year of completion of the dental course.