Impact of Sleep Quality on Academic Performance of Undergraduate Nursing Students: An Analytical Cross-sectional Study in Pakistan

Abstract

Background. Sleep is crucial for human health and to perform tasks. Quality of sleep plays a vital role in student’s learning abilities and academic performance. Poor sleep quality is common among nursing students due to their hectic schedules, and this can negatively impact their mental abilities and academic performance. Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine an association between quality of sleep and academic performance among undergraduate nursing students. Methods.An Analytical Cross-Sectional study recruited 194 nursing students from one public sector and one private sector nursing institute in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, respectively. Sleep quality was assessed using a validated tool Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and academic performance was measured by the student’s current CGPA. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 26, using descriptive and inferential statistics such as Pearson Correlation, logistic regression, and Chi-Square tests, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Of the total participants, 30.9% (60) had good quality of sleep, 59.3% (115) had fairly good, 9.3 % (18) had fairly bad, and 0.5% (1) had very bad quality of sleep. Most students had fairly good sleep quality, 65 students had an excellent GPCA, and 75 had very good CGPAs. The study found no significant correlation between academic performance and quality of sleep, possibly due to unresolved confounding factors. The Chi-square analysis indicated a p-value of 0.634 and 0.137. Conclusion. Students with high academic scores and those with low scores did not show any discernible difference in their quality of sleep. A longitudinal study is recommended to understand the impact of sleep quality on academic performance, improving data validity and reliability.