Restless Nights and Troubled Minds: Exploring the Link Between Sleep Quality and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress among Young Adults

Sleep is an important physiological process that cannot be undermined, but is often neglected by young adults. It could be associated with various psychosocial factors, caffeine consumption, etc. coupled with Academic Stress and responsibilities. All these have the potential to impact the sleep of Young Adults. Also, Lack of Sleep may negatively impact cognition and emotional Regulation, which may further affect the mental health outcomes. Depression, anxiety, and Stress are often related to Sleep deprivation and it is interdependent, forming a vicious cycle. The Study is aimed at exploring all the potential links between Sleep Quality and Levels of anxiety, Depression, and Stress. Quantitative descriptive design is employed in the study. A total sample from 236 participants are collected through Purposive sampling, the collected data is analysed through IBM SPSS version 25. The results imply a Moderate Positive Correlation (r=0.437,p=0.000) between sleep quality Score and Depression, moderate positive Correlation(r=0.463, p = 0.000) between sleep quality scores and Stress, and a Moderate Positive Correlation (r=0.513,p=0.000) was found between sleep quality score and Anxiety, which implies that the Sleep Problems will be more common in the population with higher Depression, higher stress levels and Higher anxiety. However, There is no significant difference in Sleep Quality between participants who consume tea/coffee 6 hours before bedtime (Mean = 35.4626, SD = 10.66377) and who do not consume tea/coffee 6 hours before bedtime (Mean = 33.4157, SD=11.71907);t(234)=1.376, p=0.170. Also, no significant difference in Sleep Quality between Having Academic Pressure(Mean = 35.5588, SD = 10.40195) and Not having Academic Pressure (M=32.4545, SD=12.51237);t(234) = 1.941, p = 0.053. The study explores the complex relationship between sleep quality and mental health outcome of young adults, highlighting the numerous factors that affect sleep patterns. The study reveals important relationships between sleep quality and the levels of anxiety, depression, and stress, clarifying these complex links among these factors. External factors like coffee consumption and academic stress could not have a significant impact on the quality of sleep in this study, which contradicts traditional beliefs. This detailed comprehension encourages additional exploration of the fundamental mechanisms connecting sleep patterns and mental health outcomes, providing useful perspectives for holistic therapies and approaches targeting sleep-related issues in young people.