Excessive Daytime Sleepiness, Gender and Role in University Communities: UNISLEEP Preliminary Analysis

Abstract

Introduction: Sleep is inherent to all human beings, although the reason behind it is not fully understood. Sleep disorders serve as an entry point for the decline in quality of life and the emergence of other pathologies. The excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is one of the issues related to the nighttime sleep that has consequences in daytime, with the urge to sleep during daily activities. Objectives: To screen for sleep disorders - including insomnia and EDS - and evaluate their association with substance use, physical activity and symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression in a university population, including gender and role in the university population. Methods: This cross-sectional, multicenter, observational study, called UNISLEEP (from Portuguese: Universidade, Sono, Saúde Mental, Estilo de Vida e Exercício Praticado) that includes undergraduate and graduate students, professors and staff from the 4 campuses of the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) and the Faculty of Medicine of Jundiaí (FMJ). Data were collected online, through Google Forms, from October 2024 to June 2025, with a total of 566 participants. Instruments included self-designed questionnaires to assess sociodemographic data and validated scales, such as the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the Horne & Ostberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire: Reduced Scale (rMEQ). Results: The sample was composed of 62% females and 38% males. Most participants were undergraduate students (75%), while 9% were graduate students, 8% professors and 8% staff. In preliminary analysis, we found that women had a higher ESS mean score compared to men (t(562) = −3.36,p < 0.001). ANOVA comparing the ESS scores between groups revealed a significant difference (F(3, 92.744) = 12.227; p < 0.001. Hochberg's post-hoc analysis showed a significant difference between undergraduate students and professors (ΔM = 3.62; p < 0.001) and a trend toward significance between undergraduate students and staff (ΔM = 1.84; p = 0.083). Conclusion: Preliminary findings suggest that women were associated with a higher ESS score than men. Additionally, important differences in ESS scores between undergraduate students and professors and undergraduate students and staff were found, with students having higher scores. Further analysis of this database is required to comprehend the associations involving sleep health and the lifestyle of the university population.