The Influence of Sleep on Study Skills among Adolescent Students in Kohima, Nagaland: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background/Objective: Sleep is essential for cognitive functioning, memory consolidation, and learning efficiency during adolescence. However, insufficient sleep and elevated daytime sleepiness are increasingly impairing study behaviors among youth. This study examined the relationship between daytime sleepiness and study skills among higher secondary school students in Kohima, Nagaland.

Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed with a sample of 360 adolescent students (N=180 males, N=180 females) selected via convenience sampling. Daytime sleepiness was measured using the Cleveland Adolescent Sleepiness Questionnaire (CASQ), and study skills were assessed using the Study Skills Assessment Tool (SSAT). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, Pearson correlation, and hierarchical linear regression in SPSS (Version 27).

Results: Independent samples t-tests revealed no significant gender differences in sleepiness (t(358)=-0.063,p=.950) or study skills (t(358)=0.045,p=.964). Pearson correlation indicated a strong, negative relationship between daytime sleepiness and study skills (r=-.704,p<.001). Hierarchical linear regression demonstrated that after controlling for gender, daytime sleepiness significantly predicted study skills (β=-.708, t=-18.984,p<.001), accounting for 50.1% of the incremental variance (ΔR2=.501,FΔ (1,357)=360.38,p<.001; total model R2=.503).

Conclusion: Daytime sleepiness exerts a substantial negative influence on academic study skills among adolescents in Kohima. Targeted sleep hygiene education and institutional wellness interventions are urgently needed to mitigate sleep disturbances and enhance academic functioning in this population.