Background and Significance: Sleep is a vital facet of human existence that is vital to learning and memory; lack of sleep is associated with significant impairment in learning. Medical students are a special population because of the demands of medical school. They are very prone to sleep deprivation and poor quality of sleep, hence academic performance might be affected. Objectives: We determined the different sleeping habits of medical students using a descriptive tool, with variables chosen specifically for this study. The level of sleepiness was then correlated with the academic performance (using the general weighted average) among students in a state university run-medical school in the Philippines. Methods: The study is a prospective cross-sectional survey among medical students in a state university-run medical school enrolled for the academic year 2016-2017. The questionnaires used were the Epworth Sleepiness Score and specific questions about sleeping habits. The General Weighted Average (GWA) of those who participated were obtained from the student records section of the college. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the results on different sleeping habits, while the chi-squared test was used to determine any significant differences in the GWA versus level of sleepiness across all year levels. Results: A total of 426 medical students (or 60% of the total student population of the college) participated. However, of the 426, only 326 had complete GWAs and were therefore included in the final analysis for correlation. The average medical student is “sleep-deprived”, sleeping two hours less (six hours) than the recommended daily minimum duration of sleep (eight to 10 hours). For the correlation of sleepiness and academic performance, we found out that there is no significant difference in academic performance among those who are excessively sleepy (ESS greater than 10) versus those who are not, p-value = 0.892. Conclusion Increased level of sleepiness does not correlate with poorer academic performance among these medical students, despite them sleeping less than the general recommendation for adults. The study is limited however by the use of the GWA as the sole tool to measure academic performance, which is affected by many other factors. We recommend the performance of this study in a broader population and use more validated tools to measure sleepiness and academic performance.
Sleep ; Sleepiness ; Academic Performance ; Students, Medical

Difference of chronotypes makes influence to cognitive performance of individuals in routine duties. In this paper, 55 subjects with different chronotypes were subjected to continuous sleep deprivation for 30 h by using the constant routine protocol, during which core body temperature was measured continuously, and subjective sleepiness self-rating and the performance of selective attention were measured hourly. The results showed that the phase difference of core body temperature has no significant difference, yet the amplitude and term difference among the three chronotypes are significant. There was an advance in phase between subjective sleepiness self-rating and core body temperature, and the self-rating sleepiness of evening type came the latest, and the self-rating sleepiness of morning type dissipated the fastest. The response time of selective attention showed a 2 h phase delay with subjective sleepiness self-rating. And the analysis of core body temperature showed that the later the chronotype was, the greater the phase delay was. The correct rate of selective attention of different chronotypes were inconsistent with delay of subjective sleepiness self-rating and core body temperature. We provide reference for industry, aviation, military, medical and other fields to make a more scientific scheduling/ shifting based on cognitive performance characteristics of different chronotypes.
Attention/physiology* ; Circadian Rhythm/physiology* ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Sleep/physiology* ; Sleep Deprivation ; Sleepiness

Sleep occupies one-third of a person's lifetime and is a necessary condition for maintaining physiological function and health. With the increase in social and economic pressures, the growing use of electronic devices and the accelerated aging process of the population, insufficient sleep and its hazards have drawn widespread attention from researchers in China and abroad. Sleep deprivation refers to a decrease in sleep or a severe lack of sleep due to various reasons. Previous studies have found that sleep deprivation can cause extensive damage to the body, including an increased incidence and mortality rate of neuropathic diseases in the brain, cardiovascular diseases, imbalances in the gut microbiota, and other multi-organ diseases. The mechanisms underlying the occurrence of multi-system and multi-organ diseases due to sleep deprivation mainly involve oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and impaired immune function in the body. According to traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), sleep deprivation falls into the category of sleepiness, and long-term sleepiness leads to Yin-Yang imbalance, resulting in the consumption of Qi and damage to the five Zang-organs. The appropriate treatment should focus on tonifying deficiency, reinforcing healthy Qi, and harmonizing Yin and Yang. TCM is characterized by a wide variety and abundant resources, and it has minimal side effects and a broad range of applications. Numerous studies have shown that TCM drugs and prescriptions not only improve sleep but also have beneficial effects on liver nourishment, intelligence enhancement, and kidney tonification, effectively preventing and treating the body injury caused by sleep deprivation. Given the increasing prevalence of sleep deprivation and its significant impact on body health, this article reviewed sleep deprivation-mediated body injury and its mechanism, summarized and categorized TCM compound prescriptions and single drugs for preventing and treating body injury, with the aim of laying the foundation for researchers to develop effective drugs for preventing and treating body injury caused by sleep deprivation and providing references for further exploration of the molecular mechanisms underlying the body injury caused by sleep deprivation.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Sleep Deprivation/drug therapy* ; Sleepiness ; Yin-Yang ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*