Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of poor sleep quality and its association with gastrointestinal symptoms, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), among Saudi adults.
Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 915 adults in Saudi Arabia using an online questionnaire distributed via social media. Sleep quality and gastrointestinal symptoms were assessed using validated Arabic instruments, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Rome IV Diagnostic Criteria (Rome IV), and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire (GERD-Q).
Results: Poor sleep quality was reported by 36.1% of the participants and was significantly associated with a high prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms. Participants with poor sleep had higher rates of IBS (p-value < 0.001) and GERD (p-value = 0.005), as well as significantly more abdominal pain, changes in bowel habits, and reflux-related symptoms than good sleepers (all p-values < 0.001). Overall, poor sleep quality was consistently associated with an increased gastrointestinal symptom burden.
Conclusion: Poor sleep quality was found to be common among Saudi adults, and there was a significant correlation between sleep quality and increased gastrointestinal symptom scores. Screening for sleep disturbances among outpatients with IBS- or GERD-related symptoms could improve the diagnosis and care of affected patients, and combining sleep interventions might decrease gastrointestinal symptoms and improve quality of life.

Key words: Sleep quality, gastrointestinal symptoms, IBS, GERD, Saudi adults, Saudi Arabia