Abstract
BACKGROUND: Sleep is an essential occupation that supports cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being functioning, all of which are critical for academic performance. Although research on students has demonstrated relationships between sleep quality and academic performance, evidence from Rwandan students from health sciences programs remains limited. This study addressed this gap by examining the relationship between sleep quality, conceptualized as an occupation, academic performance scores, and related predictors among undergraduate students at the University of Rwanda. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 251 undergraduate health sciences students (mean age= 23.28 ± 1.99 years; 59% male). Participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and an academic performance assessment. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential methods, including Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression to identify predictors of academic performance scores. RESULTS: Nearly half of the participants (49.8%) reported poor sleep quality, indicating disrupted engagement in the sleep occupation. Students with good sleep quality showed higher academic performance scores (Mean score=169.53) than those with poor sleep quality (Mean score=82.12), U=2390.5, Z=-9.56, p<0.001. Regression analyses showed that poorer overall sleep quality was strongly correlated with lower academic performance [β=-0.70, 95% CI (-1.76 to -1.36), p<0.001]. Specific components of the sleep occupation including subjective sleep quality [β=-0.18, 95% CI (-0.25 to -0.11), p<0.001] and sleep duration [β=-0.12, 95% CI (-0.18 to -0.06), p<0.001] were significantly correlated with reduced academic performance scores. Male gender was correlated with higher academic scores [β=0.10, 95% CI (0.01 to 0.19), p=0.038] than females. CONCLUSION: This research revealed significant correlations between sleep quality, gender, and academic performance among health sciences students. Considering these correlations, university should consider integrating sleep hygiene education and occupational balance strategies into wellness efforts to enhance academic success. Besides, longitudinal studies are needed to further assess the direction and nature of these relationships.