Sleep Deprivation and Cognitive Performance Among Secondary School Boarders in Kogi State

This study examines the relationship between sleep deprivation and cognitive performance among secondary school boarding students in Kogi State, North Central Nigeria. Sleep is a fundamental biological need directly linked to memory consolidation, attention, and executive functioning, yet boarding school environments in Nigeria frequently impose early wake-up times and late-night study schedules that compromise adequate sleep. The study adopts a descriptive survey design, involving 270 boarding students from four government secondary schools in Lokoja and Okene Local Government Areas. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and a cognitive performance assessment battery were used as instruments. Data were analysed using Pearson correlation and multiple regression. Findings indicate that students averaging fewer than six hours of sleep nightly perform significantly worse on attention, working memory, and verbal reasoning tasks. Late-night preps after 10 pm were identified as a common institutional practice contributing to sleep debt accumulation. Students who reported consistent eight-hour sleep patterns demonstrated superior cognitive scores and better academic focus during morning lessons. These results emphasise the neuropsychological basis of sleep as an academic resource. School management in Kogi State boarding institutions is advised to restructure daily timetables to allow students a minimum of eight hours of sleep, while the State Ministry of Education should develop sleep health guidelines for boarding schools. Keywords: sleep deprivation, cognitive performance, boarding school, Kogi State, adolescent health.