Exploring the Link Between Caffeine Intake, Sleep Quality, and Restless Legs Syndrome Among Medical Students

Abstract

Background Medical students face increased threats to their sleep quality and lifestyle health because academic stress and unpredictable class hours create these challenges. Medical students commonly use too much caffeine as a stress management tool, but research lacks data about how caffeine affects both sleep quality and restless legs syndrome (RLS) symptoms. Methods The study utilized a research design combining cross-sectional analysis and correlation assessment with a participant group of 300 medical students ranging from 18 to 30 years old. Data was collected from January to March 2025. The Caffeine Consumption Questionnaire, combined with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Restless Legs Syndrome Symptom Severity Scale, enabled researchers to collect necessary data. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) served as the platform to perform all statistical assessments through descriptive statistics, ANOVA tests, chi-square tests, correlation analysis, and multiple regression procedures. Results The medical students among the surveyed sample of 300 showed 237 participants (79%) caffeine consumption, while 78 participants (26%) consumed it nightly. Studies revealed that RLS symptoms affected 34 participants (11.2%) of participants as increased caffeine consumption resulted in milder RLS (r = -0.383, p < 0.01) yet negatively impacted sleep quality (r = 0.197, p < 0.01). The students who consumed caffeine in the morning experienced the highest sleep quality and the lowest severity of RLS symptoms (r = -0.266, p < 0.01). Additionally, poor sleep deteriorated RLS symptoms. Conclusion Higher caffeine use minimizes the reported intensity of RLS symptoms but leads to diminished sleep quality, particularly when coffee is taken late in the day. The combination of poor sleep and RLS symptoms creates a continuous worsening effect that persists across the cycle. Medical students' overall health and academic performance depend on specific intervention methods that teach proper sleep habits and caffeine consumption.

Keywords: caffeine consumption; lifestyle factors; medical students; restless legs syndrome (rls); sleep quality.