Sleep, Stress, and Scores: Association between Sleep Patterns and Academic Performance among MBBS Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v4iS1.3113Keywords:
Academic performance; MBBS students; Sleep quality; Sleep durationAbstract
Background: Sleep patterns are important for students' cognitive functioning, memory, concentration and academic achievement. Medical students are particularly prone to sleep disturbances due to the burden of academic work, examination stress, long hours of study, and irregular schedules. Objective: To evaluate sleep patterns among MBBS students and determine their association with academic performance. Study Duration and Site: A cross-sectional study, conducted among 2nd to 5th year MBBS students. A total of 210 students were included in the study from May to October 2024. Methodology: A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data on sleep duration, sleep quality, sleep disturbances, difficulty in falling asleep, interrupted sleep, morning fatigue, caffeine intake, and noise exposure. Academic performance was assessed using grades and examination results. SPSS version 20 was used for data analysis. Chi-square test and independent sample t-test were used to identify significant association between sleep pattern and academic performance. A p-value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Students who were exposed to heavy academic workload often complained of sleep disturbances, including difficulty falling asleep, interrupted sleep and shorter sleep. Examination pressure, tight revision schedules, and deadlines often encouraged students to sacrifice sleep in order to complete academic tasks. This pattern was associated with higher stress, fatigue in the morning, lower concentration and lower mental alertness. Too much caffeine and noise in the environment were also reported as contributing factors that could affect sleep quality. Overall, poor sleep patterns showed a negative association with academic performance. Conclusion: The poor sleep pattern among the MBBS students was correlated with poor academic performance. Morning fatigue and poor concentration were related to inadequate sleep duration, late bedtime, sleep disturbances, caffeine consumption, and noise exposure. Promoting good sleep hygiene and time management can positively impact student health and performance.
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