. 2024 Feb 26;14:4656. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-53818-2

Table 1.

Characteristics of the included studies on the prevalence of sleep disorders among medical students in MENA.

Country	First author, year—reference	Study design	Sampling method	Data collection time	Population characteristics	Sleep disorder instrument	Prevalence description	Prevalence (%) of students with sleep disorder/issue
Insomnia disorders
Insomnia
Pakistan	Pervez¹²⁰	CS	NR	January–April 2019	M: 80 (53.3%), F: 70 (46.7%), Mean age (SD): 23.14 (3.8)	AIS	Any disorder level/any academic period	36.6
							M	31.5
							F	42.8
Pakistan	Zainab⁷⁰	CS	Non-probability	September 2016–December 2017	Liaquat National Medical College, University years: 1–5, M: 111 (30.8%), F: 249 (69%), Mean age (SD): 21.98 (1.7)	ISI	Any disorder level/any academic period	17
Pakistan	Khan¹²¹	CS	Non-probability	June–August 2018	University of Lahore, University years: 1–5, M: 106 (48.2%), F: 114 (51.8%)	ISI	Any disorder level/any academic period	51.8
Pakistan	Khan¹²¹	CS	Non-probability	June–August 2018		ISI	F	75
Pakistan	Khurshid¹²²	Longitudinal	NR	2019	Local College of Lahore, Sample size: 309	Self-developed questionnaire	Any disorder level/any academic period	9.7
Pakistan	Ali¹²³	CS	Non-probability	March–April 2019	M: 350 (70%), F: 150 (30%)	NR	Any disorder level/any academic period	75.2
Pakistan	Shakeel¹²⁴	CS	Probability	February–May 2018	University years: 3–6, M: 75 (55.55%), F: 60 (44.44%), Mean age (SD): 21 (6.9)	AIS	Any disorder level/clinical training period	59.25
							M	41.81
							F	58.18
Pakistan	Ram¹²⁵	CS	Non-probability	NR	University years: 1–5, M: 35 (10.8%), F: 290 (89.2%), Mean age (SD): 20.55 (1.67)	AIS	Any disorder level/any academic period	33.5
							M	40
							F	32.8
Saudi Arabia	Mohamed⁷⁵	CS	Probability	NR	Medical students at Majmaah University, University years: 1–5, M: 145 (76.3%), F: 45 (23.7%)	NR	Any disorder level/any academic period	70
							Mild	48.9
							Moderate	17
							Severe	17
Saudi Arabia	Alfadeel¹²⁶	CS	Non-probability	2015–2016	College of Medicine at Almaarefa colleges for science and technology (MCST), University years: 1–3, F: 150 (100%)	AIS	Pre-clinical	74
							Clinical	72.8
							Late clinical	76.6
Saudi Arabia	Alrashed⁶⁸	CS	Non-probability	During COVID-19	Medical students at King Saud University (KSU), University years: 3–5 M: 256 (55.3%), F: 207 (44.7%)	ISI	Any disorder level/any academic period	35
							M	43
							F	57
							Year 3	36
							Year 4	36.51
							Year 4–5	28.92
							Year 5	16.7
							Intern	20.9
Saudi Arabia	Mansour¹²⁷	CS	Non-probability	October 2013–2014	College of Medicine, Taibah University, M: 38 (31.1), F: 84 (68.9), Mean age (SD): 20.5	Self-developed questionnaire	Any disorder level/any academic period	23.7
							M	10.5
							F	29.7
Saudi Arabia	Alzahrani¹²⁸	CS	Probability	Total duration including data collection took around 6 months for completion of the study	Majmaah University, M: 98 (75.4), F: 32 (24.6), University years: 2–5	Self-developed questionnaire	Any disorder level/any academic period	37.7
							M	38.7
							F	34.3
Saudi Arabia	Goweda¹²⁹	CS	Probability	During the ongoing global COVID-19 crisis and lockdown, February 10–1 April 2020	Umm Al-Qura University Faculty of Medicine, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), University years: 2–6, M: 217 (49.5%), F: 221 (50.5%)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/any academic period	31.5
Saudi Arabia	Alshaaer⁷³	NR	Non-probability sampling	NR	Alfaisal University College of Medicine University years: 2–3, Sample size: 129	AIS	Any disorder level/any academic period	62.1
Jordan	Alqudah¹³⁰	CS	Non-probability	NR	University years: 1- 6, M/F, Sample size: 299	ISI	Any disorder level/any academic period	70.2
Jordan	Yassin⁷¹	CS	Probability	Academic year 2018–2019	Jordan University of Science and Technology/Yarmouk University, M: 493 (47.4%), F: 548 (52.6%)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/any academic period	18.3
							M	17.8
							F	18.8
Jordan	Al-mistarehi⁷²	NR	NR	NR	Jordan University of Science and Technology in Irbid, M: 410 (48.5%), F: 436 (51.5%), Mean age (SD): 22.4 (2.1)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/academic period NR	18.7
Morocco	Essangri⁶⁹	CS	Probability	April 8–18, 2020, During COVID	All medical universities in Morocco, University years: 1–8, M: 143 (26%), F: 406 (74%)	ISI	Mild	28.8
							Moderate	26.8
							Severe	7.1
							M	50.3
							F	67
							Pre-clinical	67.6
							Clinical	65.5
							Late clinical	49.1
Sleep state misperception (paradoxical insomnia)
Jordan	Yassin⁷¹	CS	Probability	Academic year 2018–2019	Jordan University of Science and Technology/Yarmouk University, M: 493 (47.4%), F: 548 (52.6%)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/any academic period	0.57
							M	0.6
							F	0.5
Sleep-related movement disorders
Restless leg syndrome/periodic limb movement disorder
Saudi Arabia	Goweda¹²⁹	CS	Probability	During the ongoing global COVID-19 crisis and lockdown, February 10–1 April 2020	Umm Al-Qura University Faculty of Medicine, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), University years: 2–6, M: 217 (49.5%), F: 221 (50.5%)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/any academic period	22.4
Saudi Arabia	Burhan⁷⁶	CS	NR	February–May 2017	King Abdulaziz University, Sample size: 618, M/F	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/academic period NR	39.29
Pakistan	Ishaq¹³¹	CS	Non-probability sampling	June 2017–July 2018	Jinnah Medical and Dental Medical College (JMDC) DIMC), Liaquat College of Medicine and Dentistry (LCMD), and Al-Tibri Medical College (ATMC)), Karachi, M: 80 (26.6%), F: 220 (73.3%), Mean age: 21.3 (1.68)	RLS rating scale	Any disorder level/academic period NR	7
							M	9
							F	6
							Mild	3
							Moderate	4
Jordan	Al-Mistarehi⁷²	NR	NR	NR	Jordan University of Science and Technology in Irbid: M: 410 (48.5%), F: 436 (51.5%), Mean age (SD): 22.4 (2.1)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/academic period NR	14.2
Jordan	Yassin⁷¹	CS	Probability	Academic year 2018–2019	Jordan University of Science and Technology or Yarmouk University, M: 493 (47.4%), F: 548 (52.6%)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/any academic period	10.3
							M	7.3
							F	13.1
Egypt	Shalash¹³²	CS	Non-probability	January–November 2013	Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University Cairo, M: 172 (44.2%), F: 217 (55.8%)	RLS rating scale	Moderate disorder level/any academic period NR	5.9
							M	7.5
							F	4.6
Sleep-related breathing disorders
Obstructive sleep apnea
Saudi Arabia	Goweda0¹²⁹	CS	Probability	During the ongoing global COVID-19 crisis and lockdown, February 10–1 April 2020	Umm Al-Qura University Faculty of Medicine, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), University years: 2–6, M: 217 (49.5%), F: 221 (50.5%)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/any academic period	16.4
Saudi Arabia	Burhan⁷⁶	CS	NR	February–May 2017	King Abdulaziz, University, Sample size: 618	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/academic period NR	26.81
Jordan	Yassin⁷¹	CS	Probability	Academic year 2018–2019	Jordan University of Science and Technology/Yarmouk University, M: 493 (47.4%), F: 548 (52.6%)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/any academic period	12.1
							M	15.4
							F	9.1
Jordan	Al-Mistarehi⁷²	NR	NR	NR	Jordan University of Science and Technology in Irbid, M: 410 (48.5%), F: 436 (51.5%), Mean age (SD): 22.4 (2.1)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/academic period NR	12
Pakistan	Zainab⁷⁰	CS	Non-probability	September 2016–December 2017	Liaquat National Medical College, University years: 1–5, M: 111 (30.8%), F: 249 (69%), Mean age (SD): 21.98 (1.7)	BQ	Any disorder level/any academic period	20.6
Central disorders of hypersomnolence
Hypersomnia
Jordan	Yassin⁷¹	CS	Probability	Academic year 2018–2019	Jordan University of Science and Technology/Yarmouk University, M: 493 (47.4%), F: 548 (52.6%)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/any academic period	23
							M	22.1
							F	23.9
Narcolepsy
Saudi Arabia	Burhan, 2019⁷⁶	CS	NR	February–May 2017	King Abdulaziz University, Sample size: 618, M/F	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/academic period NR	72.64
Saudi Arabia	Goweda¹²⁹	CS	Probability	During the ongoing global COVID-19 crisis and lockdown, February 10–1 April 2020	Umm Al-Qura University Faculty of Medicine, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), University years: 2–6, M: 217 (49.5%), F: 221 (50.5%)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/any academic period	51.6
Jordan	Yassin⁷¹	CS	Probability	Academic year 2018–2019	Jordan University of Science and Technology/Yarmouk University, M: 493 (47.4%), F: 548 (52.6%)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/any academic period	7.8
							M	8.7
							F	7.1
Circadian rhythm sleep–wake disorders
Circadian rhythm disorder
Saudi Arabia	Goweda¹²⁹	CS	Probability	During the ongoing global COVID-19 crisis and lockdown, February 10–1 April 2020	Umm Al-Qura University Faculty of Medicine, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), University years: 2–6, M: 217 (49.5%), F: 221 (50.5%)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/any academic period	22.4
Jordan	Al-mistarehi⁷²	NR	NR	NR	Jordan University of Science and Technology in Irbid, M: 410 (48.5%), F: 436 (51.5%), Mean age (SD): 22.4 (2.1)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/academic period NR	13.9
Jordan	Yassin, 2020⁷¹	CS	Probability	Academic year 2018–2019	Jordan University of Science and Technology/Yarmouk University, M: 493 (47.4%), F: 548 (52.6%)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/any academic period	13.2
							M	14.8
							F	11.9
Parasomnias
Nightmares
Saudi Arabia	Goweda¹²⁹	CS	Probability sampling	During the ongoing global COVID-19 crisis and lockdown, February 10–1 April 2020	Umm Al-Qura University Faculty of Medicine, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), University years: 2–6, M: 217 (49.5%), F: 221 (50.5%)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/any academic period	13.7
Jordan	Yassin⁷¹	CS	Probability	Academic year 2018–2019	Jordan University of Science and Technology/Yarmouk University, M: 493 (47.4%), F: 548 (52.6%)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/any academic period	4.6
							M	3
							F	6
Sleep walking
Saudi Arabia	Goweda¹²⁹	CS	Probability	During the ongoing global COVID-19 crisis and lockdown, February 10–1 April 2020	Umm Al-Qura University Faculty of Medicine, Bachelor of Medicine, University years: 2–6, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), M: 217 (49.5%), F: 221 (50.5%)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/any academic period	3.7
Jordan	Yassin⁷¹	CS	Probability	Academic year 2018–2019	Jordan University of Science and Technology/Yarmouk University, M: 493 (47.4%), F: 548 (52.6%)	SLEEP-50	Any disorder level/any academic period	1
							M	1.6
							F	0.5
Any sleep disorders
Saudi Arabia	Almansour¹³³	CS	Probability	NR	College of Medicine at King Saud University in Riyadh, University years: 1–5, M: 215 (50%), F: 215 (50%)	Self-developed questionnaire	Any disorder level/any academic period	9.5*

*Calculated based on crude data.

M male, F female, SD Standard deviation, CS cross-sectional study, RLS rating scale restless leg syndrome rating scale, REM rapid eye movement, NREM non-rapid eye movement, ISI insomnia severity index, AIS athens insomnia scale, BQ berlin questionnaire, NR not reported.

Considered cut-offs for seep disorders RLS rating scale: Mild (1–10 points), Moderate (11–20 points); Severe (21–30 points); Very severe (31–40 points); Qualified individuals (meeting the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) criteria for the diagnosis of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)) to take this scale should have shown symptoms). ISI: Subthreshold insomnia (8–14 points); Clinical insomnia (moderate severity) (15–21 points); Clinical insomnia (severe) (22–28 points). AIS: Mild insomnia (6–9 points); Moderate insomnia (10–15), Severe insomnia (16–24). BQ: High risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) if two or more sections out of the three sections have positive scores.