Parasomnias and Associated Factors Among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background and aim Parasomnias are a group of sleep-related movements or emotions like sleepwalking, sleep talking, teeth grinding (Bruxism), nocturnal enuresis (sleep enuresis), sleep terrors (night terrors), sleep-related eating disorder (SRED), nightmare disorder, REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD), and confusional arousals. Parasomnias are more common in children than in adults. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of different parasomnias among university students in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, it aimed to study the relationship between different parasomnias and gender-associated sleep disorders, mental disorders, and other medical diseases, stress, substance use, and medications. Methods This study is a descriptive cross-sectional survey-based study. The target population for this study is university students from different regions of Saudi Arabia. Parasomnia was defined as having at least one of the 11 disorders (over the past six months). Data was collected through an online survey. The survey was distributed on different online platforms to collect data from other regions of Saudi Arabia. The study took place between August and November 2022. Results Among 1,296 participants, 934 (72.1%) were female, and 1,071 (82.6%) were aged 19-24 years. A total of 1054 (81, 3%) participants reported having at least one parasomnia disorder. The most prevalent parasomnias were sleep talking 656 (50.6%), nightmares 650 (50.2%), and confusional arousals 524 (40.4%). The least prevalent parasomnia was sleep-related eating disorder 98 (7.6%). Among participants, 580 (44.8%) had a family history of parasomnia, 439 (33.9%) were diagnosed with sleep disorders, 296 (22.8%) were diagnosed with mental illnesses, and 92 (7.1%) had other medical diseases. Conclusion Parasomnias are prevalent among university students in Saudi Arabia. Parasomnias were higher in female students and in students with a family history of parasomnia. Parasomnias in adults might be a chronic or recurrent disorder. Parasomnias are significantly associated with psychological stress, depression, and anxiety disorders.

Parasomnias in Post-Secondary Students: Prevalence, Distress, and Coping Strategies

“…As predicted in Hypothesis 3, nightmares were particularly common, with 82% of participants reporting that they had experienced these during the past year. This was also true in the three other studies investigating parasomnias in college students [9][10][11]. In the present sample, parasomnias experienced were generated from all stages and phases of sleep, including transitions between wake and sleep states.…”

“…This is true even though our sample was particularly healthy since we excluded those who self-reported a disability, including mental health problems (cf. [11]). In this essentially healthy sample, we found the number of students who experienced parasomnia and negative sleep experiences at least once during the past year to be extraordinary.…”

“…Hypnic jerks, nightmares, and sleep-talking were the most prevalent. Similarly, Alshahrani et al [11] in Saudi Arabia studied a large university sample of 1296 students and found that 81% reported at least one parasomnia. The most prevalent during the past six months were sleep-talking (51%), nightmare disorder (50%) and confusional arousals (40%).…”

“…We excluded those who indicated having a disability from the sample. This is, in part, because individuals with certain disabilities are more likely to experience particular parasomnias [11]. Forty-seven students were female, 29 were male and one indicated having a non-binary gender.…”