A Comparative Study of Sleep Quality and Its Associated Factors Across Different Years of Postgraduate Medical Training at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Rajasthan

Abstract

Background: Sleep is a fundamental biological process essential for physical restoration, cognitive performance and emotional stability. Postgraduate medical students are vulnerable to sleep disruption owing to irregular duty hours, high academic workload, and emotional stress. This study aimed to evaluate and compare sleep quality and its associated factors across different postgraduate training years. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted over three months among 315 medical postgraduate students at a tertiary care hospital. Socio-demographic details were recorded, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was administered. Additionally, a self-designed checklist was used to assess the factors potentially influencing sleep quality. Results: Poor sleep quality was highly prevalent in this population. Sleep duration and latency were the most affected PSQI domains, with marked daytime dysfunction reported by the study participants. Students in the first and third years of residency demonstrated poorer sleep quality than those in the second year, suggesting a U-shaped trend in disturbance across training years. More than 80% of the participants reported working one to three night shifts per week. Work-related stress, late-night digital media use, environmental noise, and irregular duty schedules were common associated factors. Conclusion: Poor sleep quality is widespread among postgraduate medical students, with the greatest impact observed in the first and final years of training. Institutional measures, such as regulated duty hours, promotion of healthy digital habits, sleep hygiene education, and improvement of living conditions, are warranted to enhance trainee well-being and performance