Sleep characteristics over the course of a semester among Japanese university students (Papers)

Compared to students in other countries, Japanese university students tend to sleep less. Because there are many individual differences in sleep habits, a specific intervention is not necessarily appropriate. In this study, the sleep habits of university students were investigated using a sleep diary during a semester. Participants were 13 undergraduates who completed sleep diaries for one consecutive week on three separate occasions during the semester. The results showed that university students' sleep habits could be divided into three groups. While one group had no subjective sleep disorders, the other two groups reported poor sleep quality and went to bed late: one of the group tended to wake up early and sleep shorter, and the rest woke up later. Changes in bedtime were observed throughout the semester. University students may try to cope with events during the semester by changing their bedtimes. This study revealed that time management that keeps bedtime ahead of schedule without shifting the wake-up time through the semester is important for students with sleep difficulty. (150 – 200 words)