The Relationship between Knowledge, Dietary Supplementation, and Sleep Quality in Young Adults after the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: Sleep is one of the most important factors affecting the quality of life. More than 50% of Polish adults have sleeping disorders, and young adults are the ones particularly vulnerable to this. This is why the analysis of the predictors of sleep quality, such as sleep hygiene knowledge and dietary knowledge, in young adults is a very important topic, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have affected sleeping habits. Material and Methods: 402 young adults (mean age 28.12 ± 6.08 years old) were enrolled in the study during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sleep quality was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire, while dietary knowledge and sleep hygiene knowledge were assessed with dedicated questionnaires. The participants were also asked about the use of specific dietary supplements. Results: The analysis showed that sleep hygiene knowledge was significantly associated with sleep length (R = −0.17, p = 0.003) and overall sleep quality (R = −0.17, p = 0.005), while dietary knowledge significantly correlated with time to fall asleep (R = −0.12, p = 0.026). The regression analysis revealed that sleep hygiene knowledge was a significant negative predictor of sleep quality impairment (β = −0.13, p = 0.028). Significant results were also obtained for the use of supplements (β = −0.20; p = 0.001) and the use of medications (β = −0.32, p = 0.001), which were negative predictors of sleep quality impairment. Conclusions: This study showed that increased sleep hygiene knowledge promoted improved sleep length and overall sleep quality. In addition, dietary knowledge significantly correlated with time to fall asleep. On the other hand, decreased sleep quality was observed in participants who used medications or dietary supplements.

The Impact of Education Level on Individual Lifestyle Behaviors among Dietetics Students and Professionals

“…The results of our study are in line with the available literature, as it is reported that anthocyanin-rich foods, such as tart cherries, but also kiwi or warm milk consumption, has a positive impact on sleep quality [39][40][41][42]. Aspects such as sleep hygiene knowledge also improved sleep quality, which suggests that dietary knowledge also goes along with overall lifestyle knowledge, including sleep hygiene [5].…”

“…In order to acquire healthy habits, it is potentially important that a person has sufficient nutritional knowledge [3]. It is possible to have nutrition knowledge with proper nutrition education [4][5][6]. Due to moving away from their family home and staying in dorms, apartments, etc., university students experience some changes in their everyday habits.…”

“…Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic could impact behaviors regarding sleep hygiene in young adults, which can result from psychological changes such as higher depression and anxiety rates, and even pro-inflammatory immune responses [9][10][11]. On the other hand, there is evidence that sleep hygiene knowledge can positively impact sleep quality [5].…”