Adolescent Sleep Quality as Critical Component of Healthy Lifestyle

Background and purpose Adolescence is a critical period for physical, emotional, and cognitive development. High-quality sleep during this phase is essential for healthy growth, emotional well-being, optimal weight, and learning. These factors significantly influence the academic achievements of young people. Purpose: to develop and experimentally justify the methodology of training basketball teams of humanitarian higher educational institutions, taking into account the psychophysiological capabilities of the players. Material and methods The sample consisted of 626 secondary vocational school students aged 17 years from the Central Slovakia region (353 girls and 273 boys). Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The questionnaires were distributed electronically via Google Forms from October 2023 to March 2024. The results were analyzed with an emphasis on gender differences using the chi-square test (χ2), F-test, and independent t-test at significance levels of p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively. Results The majority of students, both boys and girls, fell asleep between 11:00 PM and midnight. The average bedtime was 10:54 PM for girls and 10:50 PM for boys, with no significant differences between genders. Significant differences were found in wake-up times, with nearly 40% of girls waking up before 6:00 AM, compared to only 24% of boys (p<0.01). Boys experienced fewer difficulties falling asleep, with 21% falling asleep within 15 minutes (p<0.05). The average sleep duration was 6 hours and 28 minutes for girls and 6 hours and 55 minutes for boys, a statistically significant difference (p<0.01). Sleep efficiency was higher in boys (84.25%) compared to girls (78.75%). Sleep problems, daytime dysfunction, and mood changes were more frequent among girls (p<0.01). Only 28.33% of girls and 39.19% of boys had good sleep quality (p<0.01), while 17.00% of girls and 4.40% of boys exhibited severe sleep disturbances Conclusions Our findings indicate significant gender differences in sleep habits and quality, consistent with existing literature. These results highlight the need for increased attention to sleep issues among adolescents and the implementation of preventive and intervention measures to improve sleep quality, which could have a positive impact on their overall health and well-being.