Napping in college students and its relationship with nighttime sleep.
Abstract.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the habit of napping and its relationship with nighttime sleep in college students.


METHODS
Four hundred and forty undergraduate students who responded to an anonymous online survey in April 2010.


METHODS
Three questions were asked to determine the frequency, length, and timing of napping during the past month. Sleep quality was measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).


RESULTS
The PSQI score significantly differed among self-reported nap-frequency (p=.047) and nap-length (p=.017) groups, with those who napped more than 3 times per week and those who napped more than 2 hours having the poorest sleep quality. Students who napped between 6 and 9 pm had shorter sleep on school nights compared with students in other nap-timing groups (p=.002).


CONCLUSIONS
College students who are self-reported frequent, long, and late nappers may have a higher risk of poor nighttime sleep quality and more severe sleep deprivation.
a William F. Connell School of Nursing , Boston College , Chestnut Hill , Massachusetts.
Lichuan
L
Ye
Stacy
S
Hutton Johnson
Kathleen
K
Keane
Michael
M
Manasia
Matt
M
Gregas
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology*; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities
academic performance; college students; napping; sleep deprivation; sleep habits; sleep quality