Abstract
Objective: To assess the sleep habits and daytime sleepiness of medical students and to relate these to their serum cortisol. Study Design: Cross-sectional observational study Place and Duration: Department of Physiology, Islamic International Medical College Rawalpindi and Railway General Hospital Rawalpindi from 1 st March 2010 to 28th February 2011 Methodology: Sixty MBBS students, equally from both genders were randomly selected from first year and final year class. Their age, weight, sleep habits, exercise, nap/week and daytime sleepiness were find out through sleep questionnaire and Epworth sleepiness scale. Blood samples for serum cortisol was taken at 9:00am Results: Out of 60 students, sleep duration of 13.33% of students was less than 6 hrs. 16.67% of the students were having daytime sleepiness. Daytime sleepiness was more in female students (26.67%). Female students (76.67%) had more than 3 naps/week. Dreams remembering was more in 66.67% in male students as compared to female students (46.67%). Serum cortisol was 307.8 pg/ml in students having daytime sleepiness as compared to students having no daytime sleepiness (248.8 pg/ml. Daytime sleepiness and weight of the students was positively correlated to the serum cortisol levels. Conclusion: Daytime sleepiness is more in female students resulting in more naps/week as compared to male students. Male students with better sleep at night has more dream remembering as compared to female students. Serum cortisol, a stress marker is raised in students with daytime sleepiness.

Ayyaz Ahmed Bhatti, Zeeshan Ahmed Qureshi, Jawaria, Naima Umar, Rabea Nasir, Umar Ali Khan. (2019) Correlation of serum cortisol with sleep habits and daytime sleepiness of young adults, Isra Medical Journal, Volume 11, Issue 4.
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