Effectiveness of sleep hygiene strategies on sleep quality and level of stress among adolescents

Abstract

Adolescents are developmentally vulnerable to sleep problems due to their transitional stage. According to the literature, recent lifestyle changes and poor sleep hygiene have increased the prevalence of sleep disorders. A quantitative approach with a pre-test and post-test control group design is used to assess the effectiveness of sleep hygiene strategies on sleep quality and the level of stress among adolescents. Sixty-four adolescents (51% male) in grade 9 are recruited using a probability-computerized simple random sampling technique and divided into experimental and control groups. The validity and reliability of the tool are established using Cronbach's alpha test. The experimental group received an online intervention on sleep hygiene strategies for 5 days, including Surya Namaskar and deep breathing exercises, while the control group received standard interventions per institute policy. The data is gathered using an online structured questionnaire that includes demographic variables, the sleep quality scale, and a stress scale at baseline (T0), immediately following the intervention (T1), and at the 1-week follow-up (T2). Both groups have kept an online sleep hygiene diary for the last 2 weeks. The findings showed that post-intervention sleep quality (T1 and T2) and stress levels (T2) are significantly (P < 0.05) higher than baseline (T0) levels in the experimental group. The result demonstrates that participants in the experimental group adhered to the recommendations made in the sleep hygiene diary. Hence, it was concluded that early detection of poor sleep hygiene and stress in adolescents is required for timely intervention. The implementation of sleep hygiene strategies is a novel approach to addressing a prevalent problem and can help motivate adolescents to adopt healthy sleeping habits.