Introduction: Sleep is a fundamental biological function for the body. Sleep disorders affect the activities of physicians, who often have high shifts and night work, causing economic and social impact.

Objectives: To evaluate the quality of sleep of physicians from the Irmandade Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Porto Alegre (ISCMPA) to identify the most susceptible groups, determine the contributing factors and establish strategies for improvement.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of data from 239 physicians working at the hospital. Data were obtained using a digital questionnaire containing identification information, work area, workload, as well as subjective sleep assessment (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index/PSQI).

Results: Most of the sample was between 25-35 years old (71.1%), 146 were women (61.1%), most of whom were resident doctors (66.9%), 61.1% worked night shifts. After assessing sleep quality using the PSQI, 64.4% had poor sleep quality and 11.3% had sleep disorders. There was no difference in sleep quality between genders. Although resident doctors performed more night shifts, sleep quality was not lower. By correlating the variables, it was possible to state with statistical significance that the worse the quality of sleep, the less time and efficiency of sleep, the greater the sleep latency and, consequently, the worse the subjective perception of sleep and the more frequent the use of medication to sleep and less enthusiasm or motivation.

Conclusion: Irregularity in the sleep-wake cycle pattern leads to impaired sleep, which is why night workers are the target of sleep disorders. It is important to promote health actions and propose solutions to minimize repercussions on sleep quality