Introduction:

Medical students are subjected to various stress factors throughout their career, one of them being poor sleep quality.

Objective:

to analyze the characteristics and quality of sleep of medical students at the Universidad Autónoma San Sebastián.

Methodology:

A descriptive cross-sectional observational design was applied. Medical students of both sexes who agreed to participate in the survey were included. Sampling was by convenience. Sleep quality was assessed according to the previously validated Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

Results:

Of the 61 medical students selected, 50 (81.8%) had poor sleep quality, and the prevalence among male and female students was 18 (81.8%) and 32 (82%), respectively. The mean sleep duration among students was 5.7±1.6 hours.

Discussion:

The results show a worrying prevalence of poor sleep quality, with a high 81.8% of affected students, with no significant differences between genders. This underlines the need to address the underlying causes and preventive measures, considering its impact on physical and mental health and academic performance.