Effects of Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption on

Sleep Quality of University Students

Tabagismo, álcool e os efeitos na qualidade

Do sono em estudantes univeristários

Gema Mesquita1, Simone Ferreira2, Sueli Rossini3, Evelise Aline Soares4, Rubens Reimão5

ABSTRACT

Aim: To investigate the effects of tobacco  smoking and alcohol consumption  on the sleep perception  of 710 university students  of  both genders,  aged   17-25 years,  by means  of  a  descriptive cross-sectional  study. Method:  An objective questionnaire  to evaluate  the frequency of smoking and  drinking habits. Sleep quality was evaluated  by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Results: Smokers showed a mean sleep score of

8.1 (p = 0.008);  70.5% were classified as poor sleepers (PS), and 14.7% reported sleeping less than 5 hours per night. Non-smokers  showed a mean  sleep score of 6.4;  59.7%  were classified as PS, and  29.9%  sleep less than  5  hours  per  night. A  non-significant association  was observed  in the  sleep  score  regarding  the frequency  of alcohol  consumption  (Kruskal-Wallis p  = 0.3).  Conclusion:  Smoking significantly influences sleep perception.  The higher the frequency of alcohol  consumption  the higher the scores of sleep perception and the number of poor sleepers.

Keywords: Habitual effectiveness of sleep, Sleep duration, Sleep disorders.