Bedtime reading as a tool for improving sleep quality among university academics: A case study in Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka using global PSQI

Abstract

Sleep quality and regular reading are essentials of academic life. Bedtime reading is a behavior that many humans do willingly. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) measures subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, use of sleeping medication and daytime dysfunction. Scope of the research was limited to two academics selected from Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka representing male and female and early career levels. Upon the prior consent of each participant, their sleeping patterns were monitored using smart watches. Pre- and post- sleep related data were collected throughout two consecutive months. The first month was considered as the control and PSQI during that month was recorded. The following month was considered as the test period, where respondents were asked to read a printed leisure reading book for 15-30 minutes immediately before going to sleep. To create an optimal sleep environment and a routine with minimum sleep disruptors, the participants had to maintain consistent bedtimes and wake times, avoid food, caffeinated drinks and mobile devices within an hour of going to bed, and sleep in their usual accommodations. The female respondent (R1) recorded a PSQI of 11 for the control month (pre-intervention) while the male respondent (R2) scored 15. According to the theory, global PSQI score "0" indicates "no difficulty" in sleeping and "21" representing "severe difficulties". The post-intervention PSQI scores were recorded as 4.8 and 6 for R1 and R2 respectively, showing a reduction in PSQI. The results highlighted a significant improvement in overall sleep quality and a significant decrease in sleep latency, sleep fragmentation, and daytime dysfunction, all resulted by the intervention. This non-pharmacological approach would be useful to apply as a sleep quality enhancer for academics with sleeping difficulties. Further research is needed involving higher numbers of diverse subjects with longer intervention durations.