Impact of sleep deprivation on stress levels and cognitive performance in young and middle-aged adults at a Medical University in Ajman, UAE.

Abstract

Background: Inadequate sleep is a widespread public health concern, impacting physical and mental health, as well as cognitive well-being. This study explores the link between sleep quality, the inflammatory marker interleukin-6 (IL-6), and cognitive function in two age groups (18-25 years and 35 years and above) at Gulf Medical University.

Materials and methods: Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh questionnaire, and salivary IL-6 levels were measured. Cognitive function was evaluated using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Psychomotor Vigilance Test (NASA-PVT), focusing on mean reaction time (RT), lapses, fastest 10% RT, and slowest 10% RT. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The descriptive statistics used were frequency, percentage mean, and standard deviation (SD). The inferential statistics used was the unpaired t-test. The level of significance was taken as P ≤ 0.05. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 28 was used to analyze the data.

Results: Approximately 75% of young adults and 80% of middle-aged adults reported good sleep quality. Sleep disturbances were reported by 65% of young adults and 95% of middle-aged adults. In both age groups, individuals with poor sleep exhibited higher IL-6 levels, but all IL-6 values remained within the reference range. NASA-PVT results indicated that individuals with poor sleep had higher mean RT and lapses compared to those with good sleep. In the older age group, both mean RT and lapses were higher than in the younger group, suggesting potential age-related effects on psychomotor vigilance.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest a connection between poor sleep quality, elevated IL-6 levels, and impaired cognitive performance.