Comparisonof Sleep Quality in ActiveandInactive Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Iran

Sleep quality is one of the factors affecting the health and performance of students. The current study aimed to compare sleep quality between active and inactive students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran.

In a cross-sectional study, 386 students (182 females; 144 males) studying in the Persian Gulf University voluntarily participated for 2 months in 2020. We used the Petersburg Sleep Questionnaire (electronically through university emails) to collect data.

Female students scored lower than male students in sleep duration (P = 0.002). Physically active students scored lower than physically inactive students in sleep quality (P = 0.003), sleep disturbances (P = 0.015), and daytime dysfunction (P = 0.005). Physically active female students obtained significantly lower scores in sleep quality (P = 0.002) and daytime dysfunction (P = 0.003) than physically inactive female students. Also, physically active male students obtained significantly lower scores than inactive male students on the subscales of sleep disturbances (P = 0.005) and the use of sleeping medication (P = 0.021).

Physical activity can play an important role in improving the sleep quality of students, and it should be emphasized during the restrictions imposed by epidemics.