Caffeine Consumption Habits, Sleep Quality, Sleep Quantity, and Perceived Stress of Undergraduate Nursing Students

Background: Consumption of energy drinks is prevalent among college students and has increased over the last decade. There is inadequate research about the energy drink consumption habits of prelicensure nursing students.

Purpose: This study determined if there were differences in sleep quality, sleep quantity, and perceived stress levels in nursing students who consume energy drinks compared with those who consume other sources of caffeine and those who abstain.

Methods: A comparative study design was used. Participants (n = 272) from universities in 2 regions of the United States answered questions about sleep, perceived stress, caffeine, and energy drink consumption.

Results: Nursing students at both universities who consumed energy drinks reported poorer sleep quality, fewer sleep hours, and higher levels of perceived stress than caffeine-only consumers and non-caffeine consumers.

Conclusions: Prelicensure nursing students may be unaware of the relationships among energy drink consumption, sleep quality, sleep quantity, and perceived stress levels.