Prevalence of Insomnia and Factors Influencing Its Incidence in Students of Tbilisi State Medical University: A Cross-Sectional Study

Sleep is essential for overall health and well-being, however, medical students often face challenges in the form of insomnia or sleep-related disorders. This cross-sectional study investigates the factors influencing the incidence of insomnia in medical students at Tbilisi State Medical University during the 2022-2023 academic year. Using an online questionnaire, data was collected from 174 respondents with self-reported insomnia, and processed with spreadsheet software. The questionnaire collected demographic information, and data regarding sleeping patterns, and asked respondents to choose ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for each factor and its effect on their self-reported insomnia. After applying inclusion and exclusion factors, 122 responses were used for analysis. A chi-square analysis was conducted to verify the statistical significance of the data (p = 0.002002). The study revealed a high prevalence of 70.11% of respondents reporting sleeping difficulties. A total of 71.30% of respondents reported excessive workload as the most significant factor contributing to the incidence of their insomnia. Sixty-eight percent of respondents reported mental health issues (including anxiety and depression), and 65.5% reported improper sleep hygiene (including daytime napping and irregular sleep schedules) to play a role in the incidence of their insomnia. Social media and entertainment platform usage (59.8%) and stimulant consumption (48.4%) were comparatively less prominent but still noteworthy contributors to insomnia. The study also found that the majority of respondents (59.8%) experience onset-related insomnia, while 40.4% experience maintenance-related insomnia. This study found excessive workload to be the factor that most influenced the incidence of insomnia in medical students at Tbilisi State Medical University. This can be attributed to the increased academic load a medical student has to face and the worry about academic performance. Proper sleep hygiene, mental health support, and workload adjustments are suggested to decrease the incidence of insomnia among medical students at Tbilisi State Medical University.