NEW DELHI: Poor sleep is affecting a significant share of school-going adolescents in Central Delhi, with a study finding that nearly one in four had sleep deprivation and that those affected recorded lower academic grades and substantially higher odds of depressive symptoms.The study, published in the Indian Journal of Community Medicine in May 2026, found that 326 of 1,452 adolescents, or 22.5%, were sleep-deprived.Their average academic grades stood at 64%, compared with 67% among adolescents who were not sleep-deprived.The study covered adolescents aged 12 to 18 years, with an average age of 14.18 years. Participants were drawn equally from boys and girls studying in government, government-aided and private schools in Central Delhi.Researchers from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, the National Health Systems Resource Centre, the ICMR-Dr A S Paintal Distinguished Scientist Chair under the ministry of health and family welfare, and the Armed Forces Medical College conducted the study.Researchers used standardised questionnaires to assess sleep quality, depressive symptoms, cognitive function and sleep-related habits.They also examined students’ academic performance, school attendance, body mass index, socioeconomic status and family structure.Sleep deprivation was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, with a global score above five indicating poor sleep quality. The researchers also considered sleeping for fewer than eight hours a night as insufficient sleep.The analysis found a significant association between sleep deprivation and academic performance. Adolescents who were sleep-deprived had average grades of 64%, against 67% among their peers with better sleep.Daytime sleepiness was also common. About 48.3% of students said they had difficulty staying awake at least once a week, while 6% reported experiencing such difficulty three or more times a week.The study found a particularly strong association between sleep deprivation and depression. About 60%, or 912 adolescents, reported depressive symptoms, including 32.9% with mild symptoms and 27% with moderate-to-severe symptoms.After adjusting for several other factors, adolescents with depression had 3.51 times higher odds of being sleep-deprived than those without depression.The researchers also found a moderate positive correlation between poorer sleep quality and greater depressive symptoms.Sleep hygiene emerged as another important factor. Better sleep-hygiene scores were associated with lower odds of sleep deprivation, with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.441 for every unit increase in the sleep-hygiene score.The correlation analysis also showed that poorer sleep quality was associated with poorer sleep-hygiene practices, while better sleep hygiene was linked to fewer depressive symptoms.Researchers said the findings point to behavioural factors as an important area for intervention.The researchers also assessed cognitive functioning. Nearly 66%, or 999 adolescents, were classified as having poor cognitive function under the study’s assessment. However, sleep deprivation itself was not significantly associated with cognitive scores.Family background was also analysed. Nearly 73.2% of the adolescents lived in nuclear families. The observed prevalence of sleep deprivation was 21.2% among adolescents from nuclear families and 27.6% among those from joint families.However, family type was not a statistically significant independent factor after adjustment for other variables. The adjusted analysis found an odds ratio of 0.770 for joint families compared with nuclear families, with a p-value of 0.145.Socioeconomic background was also examined. Around 46.3% of the participants belonged to lower-middle-class families and 38.2% to upper-lower-class families.Socioeconomic class was not significantly associated with sleep deprivation, but it was significantly associated with cognitive function, the study said.More than 80% of the participants belonged to lower-middle or upper-lower socioeconomic groups. Researchers said factors including noise, crowded living conditions and caregiving responsibilities could affect sleep and academic engagement, although these factors were not directly measured in the study.Physical health was another factor assessed. Nearly half of the adolescents were classified as thin, while around 8% were overweight or obese.However, body mass index categories did not show a significant association with sleep deprivation after adjustment.The researchers said sleep problems could also be influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors, including irregular routines and screen exposure.They highlighted the need for school-based interventions focusing on sleep hygiene and mental health.They also suggested involving parents and teachers to encourage regular sleep routines and build awareness about the relationship between sleep, learning and overall well-being.(With PTI inputs)
