Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 11, 2025

Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments
Published on: August 8, 2019
Sleep patterns and quality during summer and academic year among female university students
Sultan M Alshahrani1, Hana A Alzuabi1, Dalal H Alkalthem1
1From the Department of Neurosciences (Alshahrani), and the College of Medicine (Alzuabi, Alkalthem, Alhadidi, Alrajhi), King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University Hospital, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Objectives:
To measure sleep patterns and quality during summer vacation and weeks 1-4 of the academic year among female university students.
Methods:
This retrospective prospective cohort study included female students at a university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Participants were recruited with convenience sampling and completed questionnaires online. The questionnaire asked about 5 occasions using the Sleep Quality Scale (SQS) and about their sleep schedule during summer vacation and weeks 1-4 of the academic year.
Results:
There were 385 participants. The number of students who slept before midnight increased over time from n=127 (32.9%) students during vacation to n=172 (44.6%) students in week 4 (p<0.001). The average sleep hours decreased from 8.97 (standard deviation (SD)=2.6) hours during summer to 7.01 (p<0.001, SD=2.7) hours in week 4. Students reported poorer sleep quality during the academic year, particularly in week 1 (p=0.023), than summer. Students reported higher satisfaction with sleep during summer vacation (n=97; 25.2%) than week 1 (n=38; 9.9%) and week 4 (n=36; 9.4%) (p<0.001). Students experienced daytime fatigue and tiredness (n=79; 20.5%; p=0.002) and low concentration in week 4 (n=79; 20.5%; p<0.001) compared to summer.
Conclusion:
In the studied population, multiple sclerosis was the most prevalent cause of ON. Women were more likely to have ON. The prognosis for eyesight was substantially connected with the length of ON.
More Related Videos
07:32Use of Galvanic Skin Responses, Salivary Biomarkers, and Self-reports to Assess Undergraduate Student Performance During a Laboratory Exam Activity
Published on: February 10, 2016
10:16Human Circadian Phenotyping and Diurnal Performance Testing in the Real World
Published on: April 7, 2020
Related Concept Videos
Sleep-Wake Cycles
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:
Cross-Sectional Research
Insomnia
Multiple factors contribute...
Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
Understanding Sleep
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
Stages of Sleep
Before sleep begins, in wakefulness, the brain exhibits primarily beta waves, which are high in frequency and low in amplitude, indicating alertness...