The effect of sleep quality, sleep components, and environmental sleep factors on core curriculum exam scores among pharmacy students

Introduction: Sleep deprivation is associated with poor academic performance, although the impact on pharmacy students has been minimally reported. This study examined sleep quality in pharmacy students in the first (P1), second (P2), and third (P3) professional years during perceived low and high stress periods in a course. Individual sleep and environmental factors were also explored. Methods: This prospective cohort study used an 18-item survey adapted from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) that included demographics, individual sleep components, and factors affecting sleep. Surveys were administered at the beginning of the quarter (low stress) and the week before final exams (high stress). Chi-square tests compared categorical variables; ANOVA/ANCOVA tests compared continuous variables. Results: During high stress, PSQI scores worsened among all classes and was significant for the P3s. Average sleep duration was 6.64 (SD 1.18) and 6.8 (SD 1.18) hours per night for P1s and P3s, respectively, at the beginning of the quarter; both groups had significant reduction in sleep duration at the end of the quarter. There were no significant correlations between PSQI and exam scores. Factors impacting sleep such as exercise, use of technology at bedtime, and work hours outside of school decreased during high times of stress, for P1s, P2s, and P3, respectively. Conclusions: Students demonstrated worsening sleep quality during high stress periods and less sleep than recommended. Academic performance was not adversely affected. Future research should use sleep logs and other performance measures to determine the impact of sleep quality on academic success and wellbeing.