Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Academic Performance Among Medical Students at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State

Sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality are prevalent concerns among medical students due to demanding academic schedules, clinical training responsibilities, and high-stakes examination pressure. In Nigerian medical schools, the consequences of inadequate sleep for academic performance and psychological well-being are increasingly recognised but empirically underexplored. This study examines the relationship between sleep quality and academic performance among medical students at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, South South Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey is conducted with 230 clinical-year students from years three to six, selected through systematic sampling. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and self-reported cumulative GPA are used as primary instruments alongside a questionnaire assessing study hours, call duty frequency, and caffeine intake. Pearson correlation and regression analysis are computed in SPSS. Available literature from Nigerian medical education contexts identifies sleep restriction below six hours as significantly associated with reduced cognitive performance, attention deficits, and increased examination failure risk. The Arousal Theory of Sleep and the Cognitive Processing Framework of sleep and memory consolidation provide the theoretical grounding. Findings are expected to reveal a significant positive relationship between sleep quality and academic performance, with study year as a moderating variable. Outcomes will support the University of Port Harcourt College of Health Sciences in developing sleep hygiene education programmes. Keywords: sleep quality, academic performance, medical students, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.