CORRELATION BETWEEN SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND FATIGUE IN PHYSIOTHERAPY STUDENTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Background: Sleep is important for physical health, mental well-being, and daily functioning. Physiotherapy students may experience poor or insufficient sleep due to academic workload, stress, and irregular schedules, which may contribute to fatigue. However, limited research has examined this relationship specifically in physiotherapy students. This study investigated the correlation between sleep deprivation and fatigue in physiotherapy students. Objective: To assess sleep deprivation using the SATED questionnaire and fatigue using the Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS). Methods: A cross-sectional study using convenience sampling was conducted over six months among 85 physiotherapy students aged 18–25 years in Pune. Male and female students with disturbed sleep schedules were eligible. Students diagnosed with insomnia, taking medication for sleep-related disorders, with cardiovascular or neurological conditions, psychiatric illness resulting in sleep deprivation, or recent muscle or joint injury or surgery were excluded. Sleep deprivation was assessed using the SATED scale and fatigue using the FAS. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship. Results: The correlation coefficient between SATED and FAS scores was rho = −0.382 (p = 0.001), statistically significant at the 5% level and indicating a negative association. Conclusion: Sleep deprivation and fatigue showed a negative correlation. Most participants were categorized as having poor sleep health, while most had moderate fatigue. Academic and clinical demands, psychological stress, circadian factors, and inadequate recovery may contribute to these findings. Keywords: Sleep health, Sleep deprivation, Fatigue, Physiotherapy students, Cross-sectional study