Sleep is essential for physiological restoration, cognitive functioning, emotional regulation, and well-being. Insufficient and irregular sleep in adolescents is increasingly recognized as a public health concern with adverse academic and psychosocial outcomes. However, evidence from low- and middle-income countries such as Bangladesh is limited. This study examined sleep duration, regularity, technology use, academic stressors, and their associations with academic performance and mental health among secondary school students in Gazipur, Bangladesh.
A school-based quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted between June and November 2025 among 226 adolescents aged 14–19 years selected via systematic random sampling. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire assessing sociodemographics, sleep patterns (school nights vs. weekends), screen exposure, academic workload, and self-reported academic and mental health indicators. Sleep adequacy was defined as 8–10 h/night. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics and sleep patterns. Associations were tested using chi-square analyses, with p < 0.05 considered significant.
On school nights, 59.3% of participants slept < 8 h, compared with 41.6% on weekends (p < 0.001). Nearly 45.6% reported delayed weekend sleep schedules (p < 0.001). Nighttime screen checking was common (62.8%), and 70.8% reported academic stress affecting sleep. Shorter school-night sleep was significantly associated with higher frequent anxiety, depressive symptoms, and mood changes (all p < 0.001). Poor sleep was also linked to attention difficulties (68.7%), reduced homework efficiency (53.5%), worsened academic performance (42.5%), and lowered academic confidence (64.1%) (all p < 0.001).
Inadequate and irregular sleep patterns among adolescents are significantly associated with poorer academic functioning and increased emotional distress; however, given the cross-sectional design, the directionality of these relationships cannot be established. Interventions prioritizing sleep education, academic scheduling, screen-time regulation, and mental health support are needed in the Bangladeshi adolescent population.