The Relationship Between Power Sleep and Sleep Quality, Depression, and Stress Levels in University Students

Evaluation of the Effect of Daytime Power Napping on Depression, Stress and Sleep According to Working Method: Prospective Cohort Study

This prospective cohort study aims to evaluate the effects of daily daytime power napping on sleep quality, depression, and perceived stress levels among healthy individuals. The study particularly investigates whether these effects differ between daytime workers and shift workers. Participants are required to practice a 15-20 minute (maximum 30 minutes) power nap daily for a period of six weeks. Changes in psychological and sleep parameters are assessed using the Jenkins Sleep Scale (JSS), Beck Depression Scale (BDS), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) before and after the intervention.

The study was conducted with 40 healthy volunteers (including 29 daytime workers and 11 shift workers) to analyze the impact of daytime napping on mental health and sleep hygiene.

Methodology: At the beginning of the study, participants' demographic information was collected, and baseline assessments were performed using the Jenkins Sleep Scale (JSS) for sleep patterns, the Beck Depression Scale (BDS) for depressive symptoms, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) for stress levels.

Intervention: Participants were instructed to take a short nap (power nap) between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM for daytime workers, or at suitable intervals for shift workers, every day for 6 weeks. The duration of the nap was strictly limited to 15-30 minutes to avoid sleep inertia.

Evaluation: After the 6-week intervention period, the same scales (JSS, BDS, and PSS) were administered as a post-test. The data were analyzed to compare the pre-test and post-test scores, with a focus on the differences in outcomes between different work schedules (shift vs. daytime). The study adheres to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Dicle University Social Sciences and Humanities Ethics Committee.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being a healthy volunteer.
• Being actively employed as either a daytime worker or a shift worker.
• Providing written informed consent to participate in the study.
• Willingness to adhere to a 6-week daytime power napping protocol.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of diagnosed severe sleep disorders (e.g., severe insomnia or sleep apnea) that might interfere with the study protocol.
• Inability to complete the 6-week power napping intervention.
• Missing or incomplete psychological scale data at baseline or post-test.
• Failure to perform the power nap as instructed during the study period.