The relationship between coping strategies, self-control, and sleep quality among university students in Malaysia

Lee, Kell Win and Lim, Say Khai (2026) The relationship between coping strategies, self-control, and sleep quality among university students in Malaysia. Final Year Project, UTAR.

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Abstract

Sleep quality is a crucial aspect of overall well-being, especially for university students who often experience academic stress, inconsistent routines, and stressors that can interfere with their sleep. Based on the Personality Coping Outcome Theory, the present study utilised a cross-sectional quantitative approach to investigate the relationships between self-control, coping strategies, and sleep quality among university students in Malaysia. Participants were recruited through purposive, snowball, and convenience sampling methods, which allowed for a comprehensive and diverse participant pool. The sample consisted of 160 university students, aged 19 to 28 years (M = 22.10, SD = 1.42), predominantly male (51.9%) and fulltime students (98.1%). Most were from private universities (61.3%), with the majority being Chinese (58.1%), followed by Malay (21.9%) and Indian (19.4%). Data were collected using the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS), the Brief COPE, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The results indicated a positive correlation between self-control and adaptive coping strategies (r = 0.165, p = 0.037) and a negative correlation with maladaptive coping (r = -0.462, p < 0.001). Furthermore, self-control was positively associated with better sleep quality, as evidenced by lower PSQI scores (r = -0.303, p < 0.001). Conversely, adaptive coping was not significantly correlated with sleep quality (r = -0.140, p = 0.078), while maladaptive coping showed a significant positive correlation with poorer sleep quality (r = 0.385, p < 0.001). These findings underscore the pivotal role of self-control in shaping coping responses and sleep quality, and suggest that interventions targeting self-control, alongside the promotion of more adaptive coping strategies, may help improve sleep outcomes and overall mental well-being among university students in Malaysia.

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