The effect of a 14-day digital nudge-based sleep hygiene intervention on behavioural, cognitive, and emotional well-being in college students: An experimental approach

Sleep is essential for one's cognitive, psychological, and physical health. Yet, college students often face sleep deprivation due to academic demands, social obligations, and extracurricular commitments. This study implemented a 14-day Digital Nudge-Based Sleep Hygiene Intervention, delivered via a digital platform, to encourage healthier sleep practices among college students. Grounded in nudge theory, the digital intervention used subtle behavioural prompts to improve participants' sleep hygiene without imposing restrictions, demonstrating high adherence and scalability. Participants were guided through daily tasks to enhance autonomy and motivation, such as creating calming bedtime routines. The digital intervention led to positive outcomes across four domains: sleep and physical outcomes e.g., lower bedtime procrastination (|d| = 0.55) and self-reported physical health (|d| = 0.40), behavioural outcomes e.g., higher productivity (|d| = 0.35), goal progress (|d| = 0.40), and self-control (|d| = 0.38), cognitive outcomes e.g., lower cognitive failures (|d| = 0.28) and higher mindful attention (|d| = 0.30), and emotional outcomes e.g., lower anxiety (|d| = 0.35) and higher life satisfaction (|d| = 0.44). These findings demonstrate the promise of digital, nudge-based interventions in promoting sleep hygiene and related functional outcomes among college students. However, further research is needed to assess long-term efficacy and generalisability across diverse populations.