Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)
The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is a standard questionnaire that measures sleep quality over the past month and helps screen for sleep problems that can affect weight.
Plain English
Patient-Friendly Explanation
The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is a standard questionnaire that measures sleep quality over the past month and helps screen for sleep problems that can affect weight. It asks about how long you sleep, how long you take to fall asleep, and how refreshed you feel during the day. A high score signals poor sleep quality, which is linked to weight gain and makes weight loss harder.
Medical
Clinical Definition
The PSQI is a validated 19-item self-report instrument that evaluates sleep quality and disturbances over a one-month interval across seven component scores: subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleep medication and daytime dysfunction. The components sum to a global score from 0 to 21, with scores above 5 indicating clinically poor sleep quality. In obesity medicine it helps identify short sleep, insomnia and circadian disruption — factors associated with higher ghrelin, lower leptin, insulin resistance and increased ad libitum energy intake.
Key Insight
Why It Matters
Poor sleep quietly undermines weight loss by raising hunger signals and driving late-night snacking. Screening with the PSQI helps us identify and address sleep problems as part of a complete weight-management plan.
Sources
Reviewed against standard medical references.
Medically reviewed by
Family Physician & Registered Acupuncturist, Accord Medical Clinic. MBBS (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Acupuncture (Singapore College of TCM).
Last reviewed: September 2026
This page is general health education, not medical advice. Whether any treatment is appropriate for you is a decision made in consultation after assessment.
