Sleep disorders in university students during COVID-19: United States of America, Mexico and El Salvador

Objective: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to measurestudents' sleep disorders 12 months after the start of the COVID-19pandemic.Materials and Methods: Data were collected from 693 students fromthree universities in El Salvador, Mexico, and the United States usingthe Student Health Behavior Inventory.Results: Sleep disorders were identified in the sample with those in theUS reporting higher levels of sleep disorders and those in El Salvadorreported the least. Differences were also observed by gender withfemales reporting more sleep disorders one year into the pandemic thanmales.Conclusions: The global pandemic related to COVID-19 has hada profound impact on the mental and physical wellbeing of students.Sudden changes in learning modalities, modifications to work schedules,and potential loss of loved ones have contributed to sleep disorders inthis population group. Universities need to take steps to address theevolving needs of college students as they cope with this pandemic. Keywords: Sleep; Coronavirus; Students; Cross-cultural comparison