Associations of Sleep Quality, Self-Reported Microsleep Tendencies, and Behavioral Factors with Academic Performance in Aviation Vocational Education

Sleep quality and microsleep are critical determinants of cognitive functioning and academic performance, yet their interaction with modifiable behavioral competencies remains underexplored in aviation vocational education. This quantitative cross-sectional study examined the effects of time management, adaptability, and learning motivation on sleep quality, microsleep, and academic performance among 289 students at Surabaya Aviation Polytechnic, Indonesia. A structured four-point Likert questionnaire measured the behavioral and sleep-related constructs, while academic performance was represented by the Semester Achievement Index. The model was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Time management (β = 0.287), adaptability (β = 0.313), and learning motivation (β = 0.359) were positively associated with sleep quality. The same competencies were negatively associated with microsleep: time management (β = -0.177), adaptability (β = -0.279), and learning motivation (β = -0.200). Sleep quality positively predicted academic performance (β = 0.345), whereas microsleep negatively predicted academic performance (β = -0.299). Indirect effects through sleep quality were small and were supported only at the 90% confidence level. The findings identify learning motivation as the strongest predictor of sleep quality and adaptability as the strongest behavioral buffer against microsleep. The study extends sleep-performance research into a safety-sensitive aviation training context and supports integrated interventions combining fatigue awareness, time-management skills, adaptability development, motivational support, and sleep-hygiene education