Quality of sleep and quality of life in higher education students

Introduction Numerous studies exist about the associations between sleep and quality of life (QoL), in samples with diagnosis of sleep disorders (e.g., insomnia, sleep apnea) or other medical conditions (e.g., cancer). However, very few studies have examined community samples. The purpose of the present work was to analyze the associations between subjective sleep quality and several dimensions of QoL in higher education students. A secondary specific aim was to examine whether or not sleep quality would be a significant predictor of QoL after statistically controlling for psychopathological symptoms. Materials and methods A sample of 324 undergraduate and master degree students completed the Portuguese versions of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), WHOQOL-Bref to measure QoL, and Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) to measure psychopathological symptoms. Results All PSQI components were significantly associated (at least p .05) with the QoL General Facet, and with the Psychological and Physical QoL domains. As to the Environment QoL domain and the PSQI components, four statistically significant associations emerged; as to the Social Relationships QoL domain and the PSQI components, only two significant associations emerged. The strongest associations found were between the PSQI Component 1-Subjective Sleep Quality, and the Psychological QoL domain ( r  = −.546, p  .0001), followed by the Physical QoL domain ( r  = −.446, p  .0001). Two PSQI components, C1-Subjective Sleep Quality and C7-Daytime Dysfunction, were systematically associated with all WHOQOL-Bref domains and general facet. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that the PSQI components added significant contributions to the general QoL facet, and to the Psychological and Physical QoL domains, after controlling for psychopathological symptoms. Conclusion Our results suggest that in non-clinical samples composed of predominantly healthy and young adults, there are numerous significant associations between several components of sleep quality and different facets of quality of life, and that these associations emerge regardless of psychopathological symptoms. Acknowledgements To the Dep. of Education – Univ. Aveiro, for the support with the printed materials. To the Psychology Master Degree Coordinator, who authorized this study. To Ana R. Salgueiro, Carolina T. Carlos, Joana M. Ribeiro and Raphaelle G. Dischler, for their help in data collection.