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Correspondence to Author: Gabriela de Luna Costa Pinheiro¹, Thais Pinheiro Meira Barbosa⁸,Rafaela Gonçalves Bueno⁶, Larissa Caetano Faleiro², Julienne Fernanda Carvalho e Silva³, Jaqueline de Carvalho Ferreira⁴, Isabela Marini Ferreira⁴, Giovana Casarini Yamashiro⁴, Beatriz Randone Pereira⁴, ; Rubens Rodrigues Tudela⁵, Diego Paulino Mariz⁶, Délio Tiago Martins Malaquias⁶, Aline Cristina Couto da Silva⁶, Rafaella Rodrigues Neves⁶, Bruna Felix de Lima Souza Ramos⁶, Maria Heloisa Martins Gimenes Gomes⁶, Adriana F. Viana⁶, Thiago Augusto Rochetti Bezerra^6,7. 

1. Medical degree from the Universidade Municipal de São Caetano do Sul (USCS) / Post- graduate degree in Psychiatry from the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein.
2. Medical student. Zarn College. Itumbiara, Goiás, Brazil.
3. Medical student. University of the Integration of the Americas (UNIDA), Ciudad del Este- Py
4. Medical student at the Nove de Julho University. São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil.
5. Academic in Medicine. São Judas. Cubatão, São Paulo, Brazil.
6. Medical student. University of Ribeirão Preto (UNAERP), Guarujá. São Paulo, Brazil.
7. PhD in Medical Sciences. University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine (FMRP). Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
8. Medical degree from Petropolis School of Medicine, Rio de Janeiro.

DOI: 10.52338/jopr.2025.4867

Abstract:

This systematic review aimed to investigate the prevalence, associated factors and impacts of sleep-wake disorders in medical students, with an emphasis on insomnia, hypersomnia, narcolepsy and depressive symptoms. We analyzed 32 studies published between 2013 and 2025, selected from databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS, SciELO and PsycINFO, according to the PRISMA criteria. The results revealed that insomnia was the most prevalent disorder, affecting between 34% and 68% of the students evaluated. Daytime hypersomnia was present in up to 47% of the samples, while depressive symptoms were identified in more than 60% of the students with sleep disorders. Narcolepsy, although rare, was recurrently underdiagnosed. A strong association was observed between poor sleep quality, poor academic performance, suicidal ideation and psychological distress. The studies also revealed a scarcity of institutional programs for the prevention and promotion of sleep health in medical education. The academic culture that naturalizes sleep deprivation contributes to the chronification of these conditions. Interventions such as mindfulness, regular screenings and curriculum reorganization have shown promise. We conclude that sleep disorders are a public health problem among medical students, requiring integrated approaches and structural changes in the medical training model.

Keywords: Sleep-wake. Insomnia. Hypersomnia. Narcolepsy. Medical students. Depression. Academic mental health.

Citation:

Dr.Thiago Augusto Rochetti Bezerra, Sleep Deprivation, Sleep-Wake Disorders and Mental Health in Medical Students: A Systematic Review. Journal of Psychiatry Research 2025.