Sleep, Well-Being and Academic Performance: A Study in a Singapore Residential College

Intergenerational transmission of childhood maltreatment and offspring behavioral adjustment problems and competence

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have consistently highlighted that exposure to childhood maltreatment adversely affects the developmental domains of subsequent generations. Little, however, is known about the relationship between maternal childhood maltreatment history and adolescent development, as well as the mediator role of offspring childhood maltreatment.

OBJECTIVE

The current study attempts to investigate the mediating role of offspring childhood maltreatment in the relationship between maternal childhood maltreatment history and offspring behavioral adjustment problems and competence.

METHODS

Participants were 1102 adolescents aged 10-15 years (Mage = 12.14, SD = 1.22) and their mothers (Mage = 39.40, SD = 5.31). Participating adolescents filled out self-report instruments assessing their childhood maltreatment by their mothers, self-esteem, academic performance, loneliness, and prosocial and aggressive behaviors between October 2018 and May 2019. In addition, we collected data from mothers on their childhood maltreatment history.

RESULTS

We analyzed the data through a structural equation model. The findings revealed insignificant direct effects of maternal childhood maltreatment history on offspring behavioral adjustment problems and competence. Yet, indirect effects demonstrated that offspring maltreatment by mothers mediated the relationship between maternal childhood maltreatment history and offspring behavioral adjustment problems and competence. Maternal childhood maltreatment history was significantly associated with offspring maltreatment (β = 0.30; p < .001), which in turn was linked to a higher level of behavioral adjustment problems (β = 0.40; p < .001) and a lower level of competence (β = -0.71; p < .001).

CONCLUSION

The research findings extend our understanding of the relationship between maternal childhood maltreatment history and offspring behavioral adjustment problems and competence, identifying the mediating role of offspring maltreatment.

Association of lifestyle and flourishing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan

Introduction

COVID-19 have changed our lifestyle and little is known how our lifestyle associated with flourishing during COVID-19. This study examined the association between lifestyle, including sleep time, drinking, and smoking, and flourishing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.

Methods

We used the population-based study, Utsunomiya COVID-19 seROprevalence Neighborhood Association (U-CORONA) survey conducted in November 2021 to examine the association between lifestyle such as sleeping time, drinking and smoking, and flourishing (n = 473). Flourishing was assessed with the flourishing index, a 10-item multidimensional scale with five domains. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed adjusted for sex, age, income, and education.

Results

We found that the flourishing index was significantly lower in the group that slept less than 6 h than in the group that slept 6-8 h (coef = -0.49, SE = 0.17, p < 0.01). We also found that drinking once to several times/week showed higher flourishing than those who almost never drink (coef = 0.57, SE = 0.19, p < 0.01). Smoking was not associated with flourishing.

Discussion

Sleep duration and drinking habit, but not smoking, may be important for flourishing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Urbanisation negatively impacts sleep health and mood in adolescents: a comparative study of female students from city and rural schools of North India

This study investigated the impact of social settings on sleep, physical and mental health in female adolescents of North India (latitude 29.5 oN; longitude 77.5 oE). Using a battery of questionnaires, we compared the chronotype, sleep-wake pattern, sleep health (e.g. sleep quality, daytime sleepiness and fatigue) and mood (via depression, anxiety and stress symptoms) in female students (age 14-18 years) from rural (N = 719) and urban (N = 1033) schools separated by about 35 km, but families had almost similar socio-demographic details. The morning type was prevalent amongst rural, whilst the evening type was prevalent amongst urban students who also had access to smart phones, suggesting a possible greater use of the internet. There were greater negative sleep effects, daytime sleepiness, overall poor sleep quality, higher fatigue and anxiety levels in urban than the rural cohort. Interestingly, these measures also differed between school days and free days, suggesting an impact of the conflict between internal biological and social timings (= social jet lag). We also found a significant relationship between chronotype, internet addiction, mood-related parameters and measures of sleep health. Overall, these results suggest a possible impact of social settings on sleep health and mood-related behaviours in female adolescents.

The effect of anxiety on sleep disorders in medical students: a moderated mediation model

The relationship between anxiety and sleep disorders is a key research topic in the academic community. However, evidence on the mechanism through which anxiety influences sleep disorders remains limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles of flourishing and neuroticism in the mechanism through which anxiety influences sleep disorders in medical students. We constructed a moderated mediation model and tested the mediating role of flourishing and the moderating role of neuroticism in medical college students. The results showed that: (1) anxiety was significantly and positively related to sleep disorders and significantly and negatively related to flourishing; flourishing was significantly and negatively related to sleep disorders; neuroticism was significantly and positively related to sleep disorders; (2) flourishing had a mediation effect on the relationship between anxiety and sleep disorders; (3) neuroticism moderated the process through which flourishing mediated the effect of anxiety on sleep disorders. Our research expands the literature on the mechanism underlying the effects of anxiety on sleep disorders and provides insights into the potential prevention and intervention of sleep and emotional problems in medical students.

A pilot randomised controlled trial exploring the feasibility and efficacy of a human-AI sleep coaching model for improving sleep among university students

Objective

Sleep quality is a crucial concern, particularly among youth. The integration of health coaching with question-answering (QA) systems presents the potential to foster behavioural changes and enhance health outcomes. This study proposes a novel human-AI sleep coaching model, combining health coaching by peers and a QA system, and assesses its feasibility and efficacy in improving university students' sleep quality.

Methods

In a four-week unblinded pilot randomised controlled trial, 59 university students (mean age: 21.9; 64% males) were randomly assigned to the intervention (health coaching and QA system; n = 30) or the control conditions (QA system; n = 29). Outcomes included efficacy of the intervention on sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; PSQI), objective and self-reported sleep measures (obtained from Fitbit and sleep diaries) and feasibility of the study procedures and the intervention.

Results

Analysis revealed no significant differences in sleep quality (PSQI) between intervention and control groups (adjusted mean difference = -0.51, 95% CI: [-1.55-0.77], p = 0.40). The intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in Fitbit measures of total sleep time (adjusted mean difference = 32.5, 95% CI: [5.9-59.1], p = 0.02) and time in bed (adjusted mean difference = 32.3, 95% CI: [2.7-61.9], p = 0.03) compared to the control group, although other sleep measures were insignificant. Adherence was high, with the majority of the intervention group attending all health coaching sessions. Most participants completed baseline and post-intervention self-report measures, all diary entries, and consistently wore Fitbits during sleep.

Conclusions

The proposed model showed improvements in specific sleep measures for university students and the feasibility of the study procedures and intervention. Future research may extend the intervention period to see substantive sleep quality improvements.

Switching off automatic pilot to promote wellbeing and performance in the workplace: the role of mindfulness and basic psychological needs satisfaction

Introduction and method

Building on self-determination theory, this study aims to advance the happy-productive worker thesis by examining a sequential mediation linking trait mindfulness to task performance through basic psychological need satisfaction and psychological wellbeing at work. Whereas most of the papers published on the topic stem from USA and Europe, we tested our model in a Canadian sample of 283 French-speaking workers.

Results

Based on structural equation modeling, results show that the three need satisfactions at work mediate the relationship between trait mindfulness and psychological wellbeing at work. Rather than observing a sequential mediation, we find an indirect effect of trait mindfulness on task performance through the satisfaction for one of the basic psychological need (i.e., competence).

Discussion

The present research goes beyond previous studies by exploring a new pair of happy construct-productive criteria alongside an emergent intrapersonal factor contributing to this relationship.

A Cross-Sectional Study Using STROBE Platform to Examine Sleep Characteristics, Mental Health and Academic Performance of Female Applied Medical Sciences Students in the Southwest of Saudi Arabia

Background: Medical students are expected to excel in their academics. Hence exposing them to a certain amount of strain may sometimes cause sleep disruptions. The purpose of this study was to determine the sleep quality among Saudi Applied Medical Sciences students and its potential connections with their academic performance and mental health. Methods: This online cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted at Jazan University's College of Applied Medical Sciences in Saudi Arabia. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a known indicator of sleep quality, a validated mental health measure; Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21), and Academic Performance Scale (APS) with 89 internal consistencies were included in the questionnaire. The cumulative grade point average (GPA) was also used as a covariate to evaluate students' academic success. Results: 112 people responded (response rate = 93%), and 105 of them presented comprehensive information about their backgrounds, way of life, academic standing, sleep patterns, and mental health. Participants' average GPA and APS scores were 4.23 ± 0.52 and 33.16 ± 5.63, respectively. The mean global PSQI score was 6.47 with 2.34 of standard deviation (SD). The majority of individuals (60%) had poor sleep quality particularly due to abnormal sleep latency and lesser sleep duration, as determined by their PSQI score. The prevalence rates for depression, anxiety, and stress were higher; 53%, 54% and 40%, respectively. Both depression and anxiety were substantially correlated with poor sleep quality (p-value = 0.008, p-value = 0.01, respectively). Sleep quality had no significant effect on GPA while global PSQI and depression were significantly negatively correlated with an APS score of participants (p-value = 0.007 and 0.015, respectively). Conclusions: Higher rates of poor sleep quality and psychologically negative emotions were prevalent. Unhealthy sleep patterns were linked to increased levels of anxiety and depression. Self-perceived academic performance was negatively impacted by inadequate sleep and negative emotions, despite the fact that the GPA results were unaffected.

Sleep and academic performance among students in Hong Kong: Curvilinear relationship suggesting an optimal amount of sleep

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to elucidate the association between sleep and academic performance using standardized academic assessment in a large and representative sample of school children and adolescents in Hong Kong.

METHODS

This school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016. Students completed territory-wide standardized tests in Chinese, English, and Mathematics and a set of questionnaires covering sleep, academic anxiety and motivation. Parents provided additional information on socioeconomic status and children's study behaviors. Weekday proxy sleep duration was reflected by time-in-bed, the difference between bedtime and wakeup time.

RESULTS

The study included 4262 Grade 3 (G.3) (mean age [SD], 9.2 [0.6] years; girls: 49.7%) and 3297 G.9 students (mean age [SD], 15.3 [0.74]; girls: 57.5%) from 77 schools. Apart from showing a general insufficiency of students' sleep in this metropolitan city, there was a significant quadratic relationship (G.3: β = -0.05, p < .001; G.9: β = -0.03, p < .01), indicating that students with an optimal level of sleep (9.5 h and 8.5 h in G.3 and G.9, respectively) tend to have better academic performance. The significant association remained after controlling for socioeconomic and study-related variables in that sleeping too little or too much was associated with poor academic performance.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to explore the curvilinear association between sleep duration and academic performance by using standardized test and simultaneously examining learning-related controls with a large representative sample in Hong Kong. The findings suggested that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and academic performance in both school-aged children and adolescents. It is recommended that systematic sleep education and intervention is necessary to encourage the development of optimal sleep pattern, which might have beneficial effect on academic performance for students at both primary and secondary level.

The Impact of Sleep and Mental Health on Working Memory and Academic Performance: A Longitudinal Study

Sleep and mental health can affect cognition and academic performance. The present study aimed to investigate the relationships between sleep, mental health, working memory, and academic performance. We collected demographic data from university students during the non-academic summer period and the academic term. We also measured academic performance (GPA), sleep (PSQI), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and disordered social media use (SMDS). Working memory was assessed by the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). We assessed 83 students (42.2% male) with a mean age of 21 years. Compared to the non-academic summer period, students had significantly worse sleep and distress scores in the academic term. Anxiety, depression, and distress scores were significantly correlated with worse sleep quality. Despite worse mental health and sleep in the academic term, working memory improved compared to the non-academic summer period and was also correlated with a higher GPA. However, a higher GPA was significantly associated with longer sleep latency, increased sleep disturbances, and increased use of sleep medication. Students experiencing poor sleep suffered from poor mental health, although they maintained high GPA and working memory scores. Cognitive resilience, including higher working memory, may mask poor sleep quality and mental health among university students.

COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Sleep and Mental Health Disparities among Students at a Hispanic and Minority-Serving Institution

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted nearly all sectors of our population, including college students, who continue to share disproportionate rate of disparities. In this study, we aimed to identity key sleep health characteristics, including markers for obstructive sleep apnea, as well as its relation to mental health, physical health, and academic performance. Methods: A cross-sectional study design with online survey dissemination was used. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were conducted among a predominantly minority population. Results: Results show that nearly 78% of the population reported that the pandemic impacted their mental or physical health, while over 83% reported daytime tiredness/fatigue/sleepiness, and another 61% reported sleeping less than seven hours during weekdays. Among other associations, pandemic-related poor sleep health, including sleeping less than seven hours, was associated with daytime tiredness/fatigue/sleepiness, psychological distress, as well as low mental health and physical health. A severe marker for obstructive sleep apnea, having stopped breathing during sleep, was also associated with psychological distress during the pandemic. Conclusions: Sleep health interventions are critical for optimizing college student health and well-being, including improving mental health outcomes.