[Sleep-wake patterns in Portuguese undergraduates].

Area of Science:

• Sleep science
• Chronobiology
• Higher education health

Background:

• Limited data on Portuguese undergraduate sleep habits.
• Need to explore demographic and academic factors influencing sleep-wake patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• Characterize sleep habits, behaviors, and problems in Portuguese undergraduates.
• Examine associations with gender, residence, university year, and academic field.

Main Methods:

• Survey of 1654 undergraduates (aged 17-25) at a Portuguese university.
• Data collected via self-response questionnaire on sleep-wake patterns.
• Analysis by gender, residence status, university year, and academic field.

Main Results:

• Women reported more sleep initiation/maintenance issues and pill use than men.
• Students living away from home had later schedules and felt more disturbed by noise.
• Sleep habit changes increased with university year; engineering/science/management students had later schedules.

Conclusions:

• Gender, university year, and residence status significantly impact undergraduate sleep patterns.
• Findings inform targeted health prevention and intervention strategies for students.
• Highlights the need for further research into student sleep health.