Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders in the Young Population and Their Relationship with Psychological Distress and Disability

Objective: The sleep/wake cycle plays a vital role in mental health and daily life. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of circadian rhythm sleep disorders in the young population and their effect on psychological health and mental disability. Materials and Methods: The present study is part of the first phase of the Ravansar cohort (a branch of the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in Iran cohort) and included 2991 participants from Ravansar, Iran. Data were collected using standard questionnaires, including the Kessler Psychological Distress (PD) Scale (K10), Sheehan Disability Scale, and sleep timing. Results: The prevalence of advanced sleep phase disorder (ASPD) was 0.4% in the sample, the prevalence of delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD) was 4.1%, and the prevalence of the desire to change sleep patterns was 61.3%. The results also showed that the level of PD in people with and without ASPD was not significant, but the level of PD was significantly higher in people with DSPD compared to those without (p<0.001). In another section, the results showed that there was no association between ASPD and disability, but there was a positive association between DSPD and disability. This means that the higher the DSPD, the greater the severity of disability. Additionally, the prevalence of ASPD and DSPD was higher in males. Conclusion: According to our results, the sleep/wake cycle in the sample did not follow a fixed pattern, and this irregularity was present in both sexes. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that the sleep/wake cycle and circadian rhythm are important factors in mental health and individual performance.