Impact of Quality of Sleep on Academic Performance of Medical Students in Lahore

Abstract

Background: Good sleep improves cognitive performance, memory physical, and mental well-being. In the stressful and competitive atmosphere of medical school, maintaining an optimal sleep schedule becomes challenging and it can adversely affect the health of these students. Disturbances in sleep including poor quality of sleep, inadequate duration of sleep, and tiredness lead to poor cognition and memory. This can result in poor grades in school. The study investigated the influence of quality of sleep on the educational achievements of medical students in Lahore, thus highlighting the importance of regular optimal sleep and mental well-being. Methodology: The study included 239 students from various medical institutes in Lahore. We used Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to estimate the quality of sleep. The academic outcome was evaluated based on percentages of participants' marks throughout medical school. Questionnaires were distributed via WhatsApp or email. The correlation between sleep quality and learning outcomes was analyzed using the univariate analysis of variance test. Results: The study found that 64% of the individuals had poor sleep quality, which was significantly more associated with poor grades compared to good sleep quality. The p-value for the relationship between quality of sleep and academic outcome was <0.05. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study highlights that poor sleep quality leads to poor academic performance, emphasizing the crucial role of sleep quality in determining academic outcomes in the student population.