Assessment of Sleep Quality among Consumers of Selected Medications and Substances

Background: Sleep is a naturally recurring state of mind and body, characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and inhibition of nearly all voluntary muscles during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and reduced interactions with surroundings. It is distinguished from wakefulness by a decreased ability to react to stimuli, but more reactive than a coma or disorders of consciousness, with sleep displaying different, active brain patterns. Some of the most serious potential problems associated with chronic sleep deprivation are high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, or stroke. Other potential issues include obesity, depression, impairment in immunity, and lower sex drive.

Method: This was a cross-sectional, survey-based study. The data was collected by one-on-one telephonic and in-person interviews with the respondents. They were informed about the study and recorded their consent in the same data collection form. The consented subjects were administered with a self-assessed questionnaires Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI); the obtained data will be subjected to descriptive statistical methods.

Results: A total number of 502 patients/subjects are included in this study. The age below 30 years showed that the sleep quality was very mildly disturbed(6.65±3.77), in the age category between 30-60 years showed that the sleep quality is little worse or disturbed(11.51±3.60) and in the age category above 60 years showed that the sleep quality is worse(13.31±2.67) than the other two age groups.

Conclusion: Based on the PSQI global score assessment, the age category below 30 years represented that the sleep quality disturbance is very mild, whereas in the middle-aged group between 30-60 years, the sleep quality disturbance is moderate, and in the age category above 60 years the sleep quality disturbance is more than the age as mentioned earlier groups.