sleep quality

Introduction: There is growing concern over the impact that social media use by university students could have on their academic performance due to its effect on sleep. The study assessed the influence of social media use, sleep quality and academic performance of students of the School of Basic Medical Sciences of the University of Benin. Methods: A descriptive survey research design was utilized in the study. Stratified random sampling technique was adopted for selecting 344 undergraduates. The data collection instrument included a structured questionnaire, which contained SMUS, PSQI and academic performance measure (CGPA). Descriptive analysis of participants' profile was undertaken using simple statistics and Pearson correlation was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 alpha level. Results: Amongst all the respondents, 60.5% were female. The average SMUS was 10.09 ± 1.72, implying high levels of social media engagement, while the mean PSQI score was 7.73 ± 4.14, depicting fair to poor sleep quality. With respect to academic performance, 55.8% of the respondents scored between 3.50 and 4.49 CGPA. A strong negative correlation between social media usage and academic performance (r = -0.244, p < 0.001) was found. There was, however, no significant association between social media usage and sleep quality (p = 0.813) nor between sleep quality and academic performance (p = 0.391). Conclusion: This study reveals that social media usage adversely impacts academic performance, and sleep quality does not act as a mediator in this relationship. The students are advised to adopt healthy social media practices and concentrate on academics. The institution should consider raising awareness about this issue through appropriate digital literacy programs. iv Keywords: Social media usage, sleep quality, academic performance, undergraduates, Basic Medical Sciences, University of Benin.

Background: Sleep is a fundamental physiological process necessary for optimal cognitive function, emotional stability, physical health, and academic performance. Medical students are particularly vulnerable to unhealthy sleep patterns due to demanding academic activities, prolonged study hours, clinical responsibilities, and psychosocial stressors. Poor sleep among medical students has been associated with impaired concentration, daytime dysfunction, reduced academic productivity, and mental health problems. This study assessed the sleep patterns of medical students of the University of Benin and evaluated associated factors, sleep-related behaviours, and awareness of behaviours linked to unhealthy sleep patterns. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 427 undergraduate medical students from 200 to 600 level at the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select respondents. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire comprising standardized instruments including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI), and Sleep Beliefs Scale (SBS). Data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 27. Descriptive statistics were summarized using frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations, while Chi-square tests were used to determine associations between variables at a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: The mean age of respondents was 22.56 ± 3.02 years, and 55.3% were male. The mean sleep duration was 5.5 ± 1.2 hours per night. Overall, 187 (43.8%) respondents had disturbed sleep patterns, while 240 (56.2%) had normal sleep patterns. The most commonly reported sleep disturbances were waking up in the middle of the night or early morning and nocturnal awakening to use the bathroom. Place of residence was significantly associated with sleep patterns (p = 0.043), with on-campus students demonstrating better sleep patterns than off- campus students. Sleep behaviours (p = 0.002) and awareness of sleep-related behaviours (p = 0.007) were also significantly associated with sleep patterns. Although 55.0% of respondents demonstrated good sleep behaviours, only 15.9% had good awareness of behaviours associated with healthy sleep. Conclusion: A considerable proportion of medical students at the University of Benin experienced disturbed sleep patterns and inadequate sleep duration. Poor sleep behaviours and low awareness of healthy sleep practices were significantly associated with disturbed sleep. There is a need for targeted interventions, including sleep hygiene education, mental health support, and institutional policies aimed at promoting healthy sleep practices and improving the well-being of medical students. Keywords: Sleep patterns, medical students, sleep quality, sleep hygiene, awareness, University of Benin.

Background: Balancing medical training, work, and personal life can be highly demanding and can be associated with burn out and increased stress and therefore requiring various balance and coping mechanisms to be employed by these students and these could include shorter sleep, modified learning methods, social isolation, and anxiety. Thus, this study examines the knowledge, perception, practice and implications of work-study-life balance among medical students at the University of Benin, with the aim of identifying gaps, understanding the challenges and informing strategies that can improve students’ ability to effectively balance academic, work and personal life commitments Objectives: To assess the knowledge, perception, practice and the implications of work- study-life balance among medical students in the University of Benin, Edo state, Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 509 undergraduate medical students at the University of Benin from January 2025 to February 2026 to assess the knowledge, perception, practice of work-study-life balance among medical students and its possible impact on psychosocial and academic performance. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select participants. The minimum sample size was determined using the Cochran formula with a 10% non-response rate. Data was collected through a structured, pre-tested self-administered questionnaire that included two standard instruments: the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Work-study-life balance Scale (WSLBS), Coping strategies inventory, perceived stress scale (PSS). The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 27. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Ethical approval was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. Results: A total of 509 respondents participated in the study and the response rate was 100%. There were 382 (75.0%) male respondents and 127 (25.0%) female respondents. The study showed that 377(74.1%) had good knowledge of work-study-life balance. The study revealed a significant association between age group and knowledge, χ² = 45.44, p < .001. There was a statistically significant association between employment status and overall perception, χ²= 6.49, p = .038. Majority (51.7%) assigned their current work-study-life balance a neutral rating of 3 on a 5-point scale. 73.9% proportion of the respondents reported that they do prioritize self-care. The biggest challenges respondents face in maintaining a work-study-life balance was a lack of free time, 365(71.7%). Demanding curriculum 338 (66.4%), followed by Clinical rotation hours, 240 (47.2%). Two hundred and twenty eight (44.8%) respondents had an Adaptive (Engagement Dominant) category, 194 (38.1%) had a Maladaptive (Disengagement Dominant) coping mechanism. 87 (17.1%) had a Mixed or Equal Use of coping styles. Majority (60.7%) were classified as experiencing Low Stress, while the remaining 39.3% were categorized as experiencing High Stress. 38.9% rated their sleep quality as Fair. followed by 32.2% who rated their sleep as Good and 17.8% as Very Good. A smaller minority rated their overall sleep quality as Poor (8.7%) or Very Poor (2.4%). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that while a majority of undergraduate medical students at the University of Benin possess good knowledge of work–study–life balance, their perception of balance remains largely neutral and although a significant proportion of students employ adaptive coping mechanisms, a considerable number continue to rely on maladaptive strategies, which may predispose them to psychological distress. While most students reported low stress levels and relatively acceptable sleep quality, a clinically meaningful proportion experienced high stress and suboptimal sleep. Overall, the findings indicate that knowledge alone is insufficient to ensure healthy work– study–life balance. Practical institutional support systems, structured resilience training, mental health monitoring, and cultural shifts within medical education are essential to translate awareness into sustainable well-being practices.