Evaluating the Association between Irrational Procrastination and Daytime Sleepiness among Medical Students in South India: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Procrastination represents a self-regulatory failure characterized by voluntary delay of intended tasks despite foreseeable harm. Sleep disturbance and excessive daytime sleepiness are highly prevalent among medical students, yet procrastination is less frequently examined as a behavioral correlate of sleep-related impairment.

Methods: A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students across five South Indian states. Participants completed a structured questionnaire capturing sociodemographic characteristics and validated instruments: the Irrational Procrastination Scale (IPS; 9 items, 5-point Likert) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS; 0–24). Inferential analyses evaluated differences in procrastination and daytime sleepiness across demographic strata, and Pearson correlation assessed association between IPS and ESS scores.

Results: A total of 364 students were included (56.6% female). Kerala contributed the largest proportion (43.1%). Mean (SD) IPS score was 20.00 (13.92) and mean (SD) ESS score was 19.98 (10.03). Procrastination differed significantly by gender (p=0.019), year of study (p=0.005), state (p=0.001), and marital status (p=0.040). Daytime sleepiness also differed significantly across gender (p=0.017), year of study (p=0.004), state (p<0.001), and marital status (p=0.008). IPS and ESS scores demonstrated a moderate positive correlation (r=0.517; p<0.001), indicating higher procrastination was associated with higher daytime sleepiness.

Conclusion: In this multi-state sample of South Indian medical students, irrational procrastination showed a moderate, statistically robust association with daytime sleepiness. These findings support procrastination as a potentially modifiable behavioral target within student sleep-health initiatives.