A Study on Sleep Quality and Mental Fatigue among College Students

Abstract

College students are adept at surviving on caffeine, stress, and too little sleep. Nonetheless, how much is this affecting their brains, is the question that needs to be answered. It often feels like a relentless balancing act, racing against assignment deadlines, tackling endless tests and presentations. Academic pressures along with social and personal responsibilities frequently result in poor quality of sleep along with higher mental fatigue levels. The current study highlights the impact of inadequate or disturbed sleep on mental exhaustion among college students. A sample of 30 university going students between the ages of 18 and 24 were taken from Mohali, Punjab. Standardized scales were used, the short Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire Index (short PSQI) (Famodu et al., 2018) was administered to measure sleep quality and Mental Fatigue Scale (MFS) (Johansson et al., 2009) to measure mental fatigue. Results revealed that poor sleep quality shows significant positive association with mental fatigue. By analyzing the responses regarding sleep patterns, perceived fatigue levels, and their correlation with overall well-being, the research underscores the critical role of sleep in maintaining mental clarity and productivity. The findings emphasize prioritizing sleep to alleviate mental fatigue and improve the daily functioning of college students.