Objective:

To determine the prevalence of sleep disorders and factors associated with sleep quality in Ecuadorian healthcare personnel using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), analyzing the most frequently altered components and their implications for health and professional performance.

Methods:

A cross-sectional, observational, and analytical study was conducted with 189 healthcare professionals from public hospitals in Guayaquil, Ecuador, aged ≥50 years who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected through an online questionnaire between July and October 2025. The validated Spanish version of the PSQI was used, evaluating seven components of sleep quality. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were applied for association analysis (p<0.05).

Results:

Poor sleep quality prevalence (PSQI>5) was 63.49% (95%CI: 56.58%-70.40%), with 35.98% presenting severe cases (PSQI>8). The most affected components were sleep duration (86.24% sleeping <7 hours), habitual efficiency (64.55% with efficiency <85%), and latency (60.32% taking >15 minutes to fall asleep). A significant association was found between sleep quality and daytime sleepiness (χ²: p<0.001), with 82.35% of severe cases reporting somnolence versus 34.78% of good sleepers. Notably, 77.78% subjectively rated their sleep as “good” despite objective impairment.

Conclusions:

Ecuadorian healthcare personnel exhibit alarming sleep disorder prevalence exceeding general population estimates. The discrepancy between objective measurements and subjective perception suggests normalization of deficient sleep patterns, highlighting the need for systematic screening programs using validated instruments.