1* Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Dr. B.S. Kushwah Institute of Medical Sciences, Lakhanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. (Corresponding Author) Email: sanjubhandari111@gmail.com
2 Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Lord Buddha Koshi Medical College and Hospital, Bihar. Email: krishnapandey0507@gmail.com
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Shree Narayan Medical Institute and Hospital, Saharsa, Bihar. Email: chaurasiya.rajanish90@gamil.com
4 Professor, Department of Anatomy, Dr. B.S. Kushwah Institute of Medical Sciences, Lakhanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Email: kishorbhandari11@gamil.com
Received: 20th Feb, 2026 | Revised: 4th Mar, 2026 | Accepted: 25th Mar, 2026 | Available Online: 10th Apr, 2026
Background: Sleep plays a crucial role in memory consolidation, cognitive functioning, and emotional regulation. Medical students often experience sleep disturbances due to academic demands, making it important to explore effective sleep strategies. This study compares the effects of partial sleep restriction (PSR) and split sleep regimens (SSR) on cognitive, memory, and affective outcomes.
Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted among 85 healthy medical students aged 18–25 years. Participants were randomly assigned to either the PSR group (4–5 hours of continuous nocturnal sleep) or the SSR group (equivalent total sleep divided into two episodes). Sleep patterns were monitored using actigraphy and sleep diaries over a two-week period. Sleep quality and sleepiness were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS), respectively. Sleep parameters such as total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency, and night awakenings were also recorded.
Results: The SSR group demonstrated significantly better outcomes compared to the PSR group. Total sleep time was higher in the SSR group (7.1 ± 0.7 hours vs. 6.2 ± 0.8 hours, p < 0.001), along with improved sleep efficiency (90.4% vs. 86.5%, p = 0.001) and fewer night awakenings (1.5 ± 0.6 vs. 2.1 ± 0.7, p < 0.001). Participants in the PSR group reported significantly higher sleepiness scores (KSS: 5.8 ± 1.1 vs. 5.0 ± 1.2, p = 0.02). Although PSQI global scores were not significantly different, a higher proportion of SSR participants reported good sleep quality (41.9% vs. 28.6%, p = 0.04), while PSR participants exhibited greater levels of sleepiness.
Conclusion: Split sleep regimens are associated with improved sleep quality, greater total sleep duration, better sleep efficiency, and reduced daytime sleepiness compared to partial sleep restriction. These findings suggest that SSR may be a more effective and practical strategy to mitigate the negative cognitive and affective effects of sleep deprivation in medical students.
Keywords: Sleep restriction, split sleep, medical students, sleep quality, cognition, sleepiness, actigraphy.
How to cite this article: Acharya S, Pandey K, Chaurasiya R, Bhandari K. A Study on the Cognitive, Memory, and Affective Outcomes of Partial Sleep Restriction Versus Split Sleep Regimens in Medical Students. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(30s):439-446. DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.30s.42
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.