Insomnia and Academic Performance: A Correlational Study of Undergraduate Students in District Okara, Pakistan

Rabia  Yaseen; Maliha  Ghaffar; Muhammad  Imran; Atifa  Waheed; Anam  Abbas; Samavia  Mustafa; Sana  Khan

doi:10.54112/bcsrj.v7i2.2073

Authors

Rabia Yaseen Department of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Okara, Okara, 56130, Pakistan
Maliha Ghaffar Department of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Okara, Okara, 56130, Pakistan
Muhammad Imran Department of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Okara, Okara, 56130, Pakistan
Atifa Waheed Department of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Okara, Okara, 56130, Pakistan
Anam Abbas Department of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Okara, Okara, 56130, Pakistan
Samavia Mustafa Department of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Okara, Okara, 56130, Pakistan
Sana Khan Department of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Okara, Okara, 56130, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54112/bcsrj.v7i2.2073

Keywords:

Insomnia, Insomnia Severity Index, Prevalence, Academic Performance, CGPA, Undergraduate Students

Abstract

Insomnia is common in university students and may adversely affect learning, concentration, and academic outcomes. District-level evidence from Pakistan, including Okara, remains limited. Objective: To determine the prevalence of insomnia and examine its association with academic performance among undergraduate students in District Okara, Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2024 to March 2025 among 632 undergraduate students from academic institutions in Okara. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire including demographic variables, self-reported CGPA, and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Descriptive statistics were used to estimate the prevalence of insomnia. Chi-square tests assessed associations between insomnia severity and participant characteristics. Spearman's correlation was used to examine the relationship between ISI score and CGPA. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Overall, 60.3% of students reported insomnia symptoms (mild to severe), while 39.7% reported no clinical insomnia. Insomnia severity was distributed as mild (37.8%), moderate (19.9%), and severe (2.5%), and it was significantly associated with gender (p = 0.008) and academic discipline (p = 0.008), but not with age, residence, marital status, family income, or CGPA category. Spearman's correlation showed a weak negative association between insomnia severity and academic performance (r = -0.100, p = 0.012). Conclusion: Insomnia symptoms were highly prevalent among undergraduates in Okara and were weakly but significantly associated with lower academic performance. Universities should consider sleep health promotion, early screening, and student support interventions to reduce the burden of insomnia and improve academic functioning.

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