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Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health
Published in: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 1/2011

Open Access 01-12-2011 | Research

Sleep habits and sleep problems among Palestinian students

Authors: Waleed M Sweileh, Iyad A Ali, Ansam F Sawalha, Adham S Abu-Taha, Sa'ed H Zyoud, Samah W Al-Jabi

Published in: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health | Issue 1/2011

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Abstract

Aim

The aim of this study was to describe sleep habits and sleep problems in a population of undergraduates in Palestine. Association between self-reported sleep quality and self-reported academic achievement was also investigated.

Methods

Sleep habits and problems were investigated using a convenience sample of students from An-Najah National University, Palestine. The study was carried out during spring semester, 2009. A self-administered questionnaire developed based on The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV criteria and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used.

Results

400 students with a mean age of 20.2 ± 1.3 were studied. Reported mean duration of night sleep in the study sample was 6.4 ± 1.1 hours. The majority (58.3%) of students went to bed before midnight and 18% of the total sample woke up before 6 am. Sleep latency of more than one hour was present in 19.3% of the students. Two thirds (64.8%) of the students reported having at least one nocturnal awakening per night. Nightmares were the most common parasomnia reported by students. Daytime naps were common and reported in 74.5% of the study sample. Sleep quality was reported as "poor" in only 9.8% and was significantly associated with sleep latency, frequency of nocturnal awakenings, time of going to bed, nightmares but not with academic achievement.

Conclusion

Sleep habits among Palestinian undergraduates were comparable to those reported in European studies. Sleep problems were common and there was no significant association between sleep quality and academic achievement.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Sleep habits and sleep problems among Palestinian students
Authors
Waleed M Sweileh
Iyad A Ali
Ansam F Sawalha
Adham S Abu-Taha
Sa'ed H Zyoud
Samah W Al-Jabi
Publication date
01-12-2011
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health / Issue 1/2011
Electronic ISSN: 1753-2000
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1753-2000-5-25

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