From restless nights to productive days: investigating sleep hygiene, social rhythm, and sleep quality in young adults

Sleep is essential for health, well-being, and productivity, particularly among young adults entering the workforce. This study investigated the role of sleep hygiene and social rhythm as predictors of sleep quality, emphasizing implications for daily productivity among young adults in Malaysia. A longitudinal survey was conducted with 113 participants who completed either paper-based or online diaries. Participants provided demographic information and responded to the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Sleep Hygiene Inventory (SHI), Social Rhythm Metric (SRM II-5), Consensus Sleep Diary (CSD), and Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS). Participants generally demonstrated good sleep hygiene (M = 12.52; SD = 6.70) and above-average social rhythm (M = 4.78; SD = 1.62). The majority were classified as good sleepers, with a mean PSQI score of 4.29 (SD = 2.44), diary-reported sleep quality (M = 3.52, SD = .38), total sleep time (M = 7 hours 7 minutes, SD = 54 minutes), and sleep efficiency (M = 86.61%, SD = 7.19%). Sleep hygiene showed a significant positive correlation with PSQI-measured sleep quality but was not significantly correlated with diary-reported sleep quality. Regression analysis demonstrated that sleep hygiene was a stronger predictor of overall sleep quality (β = .69, t(110) = 8.38, p < .001), while social rhythm significantly predicted sleep efficiency (β = .33, t(110) = 3.17, p < .002). These findings highlight the importance of healthy sleep habits and regular daily routines in enhancing sleep quality, and potentially improving productivity among young professionals. Future research should explore these relationships in diverse populations to further substantiate generalisability and practical applications for workplace productivity enhancement.