<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec><h3>Objective</h3>
<p>This study aimed to evaluate sleep behaviors among college students, to assess salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and heart rate variability (HRV) in association with stress, and to investigate sleep-related factors including sAA, HRV, and stress among them.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Methods</h3>
<p>Saliva samples for sAA assessment and HRV measurements in the supine position were taken between 3 PM and 6 PM. The level of prolonged psychological stress for the previous week was evaluated using the Korean version of the Global Assessment of Recent Stress (GARS-K), and sleep behaviors were assessed using an actigraphy device.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Results</h3>
<p>A total of 86 healthy college students participated in this study. Sleep behaviors of the college students were not good, with 84% sleep efficiency (SE) and 62.7 min wake after sleep onset (WASO). The average sAA level was 65.8 U/mL in the participants. Although neither the sAA level nor HRV indices were significantly correlated with prolonged psychological stress, decreased normalized high frequency (nHF) on HRV was independently associated with a higher level of stress when adjusted for age and sex. Higher stress (<italic>r</italic> = −0.276, <italic>P</italic> = 0.011) and lower sAA (<italic>r</italic> = 0.266, <italic>P</italic> = 0.030) had significant correlations with shorter time in bed; however, it was sAA that was independently associated with time in bed (β = 0.244, <italic>p</italic> = 0.044). Decreased nHF (β = 0.245, <italic>P</italic> = 0.027) and higher body mass index (BMI) (β = −0.224, <italic>P</italic> = 0.043) were independently related to and poorer SE.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Conclusions</h3>
<p>Poor sleep behaviors were associated with decreased parasympathetic activity, a physiological change to psychological stress, rather than with psychological stress itself among college students. Thus, sAA and HRV should be considered as significant factors for impaired sleep behaviors in relation to psychological stress.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Objective
This study aimed to evaluate sleep behaviors among college students, to assess salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and heart rate variability (HRV) in association with stress, and to investigate sleep-related factors including sAA, HRV, and stress among them.

Methods
Saliva samples for sAA assessment and HRV measurements in the supine position were taken between 3 PM and 6 PM. The level of prolonged psychological stress for the previous week was evaluated using the Korean version of the Global Assessment of Recent Stress (GARS-K), and sleep behaviors were assessed using an actigraphy device.

Results
A total of 86 healthy college students participated in this study. Sleep behaviors of the college students were not good, with 84% sleep efficiency (SE) and 62.7 min wake after sleep onset (WASO). The average sAA level was 65.8 U/mL in the participants. Although neither the sAA level nor HRV indices were significantly correlated with prolonged psychological stress, decreased normalized high frequency (nHF) on HRV was independently associated with a higher level of stress when adjusted for age and sex. Higher stress (r = −0.276, P = 0.011) and lower sAA (r = 0.266, P = 0.030) had significant correlations with shorter time in bed; however, it was sAA that was independently associated with time in bed (β = 0.244, p = 0.044). Decreased nHF (β = 0.245, P = 0.027) and higher body mass index (BMI) (β = −0.224, P = 0.043) were independently related to and poorer SE.

Conclusions
Poor sleep behaviors were associated with decreased parasympathetic activity, a physiological change to psychological stress, rather than with psychological stress itself among college students. Thus, sAA and HRV should be considered as significant factors for impaired sleep behaviors in relation to psychological stress.

The association of salivary alpha-amylase, heart rate variability, and psychological stress on objectively measured sleep behaviors among college students

Frontiers of Nursing

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Objective
This study aimed to evaluate sleep behaviors among college students, to assess salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and heart rate variability (HRV) in...

The association of salivary alpha-amylase, heart rate variability, and psychological stress on objectively measured sleep behaviors among college students

Article Category: Original article

Published Online: Apr 13, 2022

Page range: 63 - 70

Received: May 06, 2021

Accepted: Jul 07, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fon-2022-0008

Keywords
alpha-amylase, psychological stress, Autonomic nervous system, heart rate variability, sleep

© 2022 Minhee Suh, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The association of salivary alpha-amylase, heart rate variability, and psychological stress on objectively measured sleep behaviors among college students

Article Category: Original article

Published Online: Apr 13, 2022

Page range: 63 - 70

Received: May 06, 2021

Accepted: Jul 07, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fon-2022-0008

Keywordsalpha-amylase, psychological stress, Autonomic nervous system, heart rate variability, sleep

© 2022 Minhee Suh, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
alpha-amylase, psychological stress, Autonomic nervous system, heart rate variability, sleep