Predictive Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Short-Term Memory in Young Adults: A Comparative Machine Learning-Based Analysis in an Indonesian Cohort

Putu Emilia Dewi^1*, Jennifer Louisa¹, Ayu Komang Amanda Gunawan², Ketut Widyastuti³

Abstract

Background: Sleep quality is increasingly recognized as a key determinant of cognitive functions, particularly memory. However, the multidimensional structure of sleep and its differential effects on memory domains remain unclear. Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between components of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and various types of memory performance in young adults. Methods: A total of 316 young adults completed PSQI and participated in three memory tasks: the Object Scenery Task (visual-spatial memory), Reading Span Task (verbal/episodic memory), and Digit Backward Span Task (working memory). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to reduce collinearity among PSQI components. Multiple linear regression and machine learning models were applied to examine predictive relationships. Results: Subjective Sleep Quality and Sleep Disturbance were found to be the strongest predictors of memory performance, particularly in the reading span and object scenery task (p<0.001). The Reading Span Task showed the highest number of significant associations with PSQI components. Machine learning models further supported this, with the lowest prediction errors (MAE, MSE, MAPE) observed in verbal memory scores. PCA confirmed the multidimensional sleep structure, allowing five distinct components to be retained for regression analysis. Conclusion: Different dimensions of sleep affect distinct memory systems, with verbal memory most consistently influenced by sleep quality. These findings highlight the importance of comprehensively assessing sleep and integrating both objective and subjective measures in future sleep-memory research.

Keywords

sleep quality; memory; young adults; machine learning.

Cite This Article

Dewi, P. E., Louisa, J., Gunawan, A. K. A., Widyastuti, K. (2025). Predictive Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Short-Term Memory in Young Adults: A Comparative Machine Learning-Based Analysis in an Indonesian Cohort. International Journal of Scientific Advances (IJSCIA), Volume 6| Issue 5: Sep – Oct 2025, Pages 905-913 URL: https://www.ijscia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Volume6-Issue5-Sep-Oct-No.948-905-913.pdf

Volume 6 | Issue 5: Sep – Oct 2025