Perceptions of Medical Residents About Sleep Disorders and Sleep Medicine in Qassim Province, Saudi Arabia

Background Sleep disorders have increased drastically over the past few decades due to lifestyle, environmental, and geographical factors and individual high-level financial goals and requirements. The study aims to identify the prevalence of sleep disorders among Qassim residents and to determine the risk factors associated with sleep disorders. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 Saudi Board residents of different postgraduate programs in Qassim Province using a self-administered questionnaire through Google Forms (Google, Inc., Mountain View, CA), and 105 participants responded. Data was analyzed using the SPSS version 21.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) and necessary statistical tests; the chi-square test was applied for sleep disorder symptoms and risk factors, with the prevalence of sleep disorder as a category. Results In our study, 43.8% (n=46) were men; the mean age and standard deviation in the study population was 28.30±2.77 years. Approximately 98.1% (n=103) of residents were aware of sleep disorders. About 82.9% (n=87) of residents were aware of breathing difficulty for a sleep disorder. Regarding symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), hypersomnia and hyposomnia prevalence were 40% (n=42) and 41.9% (n=44), respectively. Concerning challenges, about 98.5% (n=68) believed that training is required to treat sleep disorders. About suggestions, 22.7% (n=10) stated that lifestyle modifications are required, and 20.5% (n=9) mentioned the establishment of sleep clinics. There was a statistically significant association observed between sleep disorder prevalence with sleepwalking, hypersomnia, and hyposomnia (P<0.05). Conclusions Based on the study findings, the Qassim Board residents' awareness of sleep disorders is excellent. More than two-fifths of residents (40% and 41.9%) had hypersomnia and hyposomnia symptoms, respectively. Most residents (98.5%) mentioned that training is required to treat sleep disorders as a challenge and suggested lifestyle modifications and sleep clinics.