Lived Experiences of Sleep During the Arbaeen Pilgrimage: A Phenomenological Study Among Young Iranian Health Sciences Student Pilgrims
| Author | Anila Taheri | en |
| Author | Zahra Mortazavi | en |
| Author | Fateme Mohammadi | en |
| Author | Helen Behmanesh | en |
| Author | Saideh Sadat Mortazavi | en |
| Orcid | Anila Taheri [0009-0003-7161-6785] | en |
| Orcid | Zahra Mortazavi [0000-0002-4174-0852] | en |
| Orcid | Fateme Mohammadi [0000-0002-3475-4033] | en |
| Orcid | Helen Behmanesh [0000-0001-7542-5036] | en |
| Orcid | Saideh Sadat Mortazavi [0000-0001-6023-8780] | en |
| Issued Date | 2026-10-31 | en |
| Abstract | Background: Sleep, a fundamental physiological process, may be substantially disrupted during spiritually significant mass gatherings. The Arbaeen pedestrian pilgrimage, characterized by extreme physical demands, makeshift accommodations, and strong devotional motivation, provides a context in which conventional travel-sleep models may be inadequate. This study explored the lived experience of sleep in a homogeneous cohort of young Iranian medical student pilgrims, acknowledging that the findings are context-specific and require validation in more diverse populations. Objectives: To investigate the multidimensional (environmental, personal, psychological, and spiritual) experience of sleep; to identify key challenges and facilitators; to document pilgrims’ coping strategies; and to examine the role of spirituality in redefining sleep within this specific pilgrimage context. Methods: A descriptive phenomenological design was used. Eleven Iranian undergraduate health sciences students from Hamadan University of Medical Sciences (2025 Arbaeen walk) were purposively sampled. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step method. Interviews were audio-recorded and continued until thematic saturation was reached (i.e., no new codes emerged in three consecutive interviews). Results: Four themes emerged: Environmental Challenges Affecting Pilgrims’ Sleep, Individual Characteristics Influencing Sleep, Security and Psychological Tranquility, and Coping and Sleep Management Strategies. Conclusions: In this cohort of young Iranian medical student pilgrims, sleep during Arbaeen was experienced not only as a disrupted physiological process but also as an experience shaped by physical, psychosocial, and spiritual meanings. Whether this pattern also applies to older, international, or chronically ill pilgrims remains an open empirical question. These preliminary findings suggest that sleep health promotion at such events may benefit from a bio-psycho-social-spiritual perspective; however, further research in diverse populations is required. | en |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.69107/mgmj-170226 | en |
| URI | https://brieflands.com/journals/mgmj/articles/170226 | en |
| Keyword | Sleep Quality | en |
| Keyword | Pilgrimage | en |
| Keyword | Phenomenology | en |
| Keyword | Qualitative Research | en |
| Keyword | Spirituality | en |
| Keyword | Arbaeen | en |
| Publisher | Brieflands | en |
| Title | Lived Experiences of Sleep During the Arbaeen Pilgrimage: A Phenomenological Study Among Young Iranian Health Sciences Student Pilgrims | en |
| Type | Research Article | en |
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