Sleep Quality, Sleep Hygiene Behaviors, and Psychosocial Determinants Among Undergraduate Students in South‐Eastern Bangladesh: A Cross‐Sectional Study

ABSTRACT Background Sleep disturbances among university students have increasingly been linked to academic stress, lifestyle choices, and psychosocial factors, all of which elevate the risk of insomnia through the demands of academic work and a propensity for irregular sleep schedules. This study evaluated the determinants of sleep quality and sleep hygiene behaviors among university students. Methods A descriptive cross‐sectional study was conducted across five universities in Chittagong, Bangladesh, involving undergraduate students selected via stratified random sampling. Student groups were compared using descriptive statistics, t ‐tests, Mann–Whitney U ‐tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Kruskal–Wallis tests, and Dunn post hoc tests. Multiple linear regression was performed to evaluate predictors of sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI] score), with p < 0.05 as the significance threshold. Data analysis and visualization were performed using Stata SE 18 and R. Results Out of 1000 participants, the mean age was 22.05 ± 1.55 years, and 49.6% were classified as poor sleepers (PSQI > 5). Significant gender differences were found ( p = <0.003), with females reporting poorer sleep quality. PSQI differed across disciplines ( p = 0.028), especially science versus humanities ( p = 0.023). Poor sleepers had significantly higher scores on the Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI), Academic Stressors Module (ASM), and Cultural and Social Practices Module ( p < 0.001). In multivariable regression, female gender predicted poorer sleep ( β = 0.741, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.254–1.228, p = 0.003), humanities discipline (vs. science) was also associated with higher PSQI scores ( β = 0.621, 95% CI: 0.108–1.133, p = 0.018), whereas middle‐income status predicted better sleep ( β = −0.999, 95% CI: −1.813 to −0.185, p = 0.016). Conclusion Poor sleep quality is prevalent among university students and is primarily influenced by gender, academic discipline, socioeconomic background, and co‐occurring psychosocial stressors. Targeted interventions are needed to improve educational outcomes through sleep hygiene education and context‐specific strategies.