Sleep quality and perception of quality of life of undergraduate nursing students

Abstract

During graduation, students face several situations that, although promoting personal growth, can compromise well-being, sleep, health and quality of life. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between individual characteristics, sleep quality and the perception of quality of life of undergraduate nursing students. This is a cross-sectional study with a quantitative, analytical and comparative approach, carried out with 187 nursing students at a private institution in the city of Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The data collection instruments were an individual characterization questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the WHOQOL-Bref instrument for quality of life analysis. There was a predominance of women, adults, young, without children, who worked, and who did not practice physical activity. Work, cost of study and female gender were associated with shorter sleep duration and worse quality of life. The worst perception in the physical domain of quality of life was related to the worst quality of sleep. Bad sleep quality was obtained for all years of the course, sleep duration of less than 7 hours a day and complaints of daytime sleepiness. Therefore, sleep alterations with impairments in quality of life were observed. Educational strategies are suggested for sleep hygiene and stimulation of health-promoting behaviors to improve general health, academic health and quality of life in this population.