Sleep Hygiene as a Modifiable Psychological Resource for Self-Esteem Among Young Adults in a Conflict-Affected Region: Evidence from Kashmir

Modern life over the last decade has made the emergence into young adulthood an even more complex process, with higher competitions in the harsh academy environment, rapid digital adaptation, and relapsing social structures. Chronic environmental stressors, sociopolitical unrest and academic turbulence are intensifying the global demands experienced by those living in conflict zones such as the Kashmir. Sleep and positive self, evaluation that form the bedrock of a healthy life are often compromised in such a stressful milieu and settings, and thus, understanding this interface becomes crucial to building any resilience. The aim of this current study was to look at the relationship between selfesteem and sleep hygiene among the young Kashmiri adults who are between the ages of 18 and 25. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational study approach, information was gathered from 150 participants (62 men and 88 women) who were chosen from a variety of community and educational settings throughout Kashmir. The 10-item Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) was used to measure global selfesteem, and the 13-item Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) was used to evaluate sleep hygiene. With Cronbach's alpha (α) values of.701 for the SHI and.833 for the RSES, reliability analysis verified the internal consistency of both instruments. The descriptive results showed that the mean self-esteem score was 23.1 (SD = 5.84) and the mean sleep hygiene score was 20.2 (SD = 6.94). A Pearson’s product-moment correlation revealed a statistically significant positive association between the two variables, suggesting that better sleep hygiene habits co-occur with greater levels of self-esteem. This relationship provides evidence for a plausible pathway wherein behavioral sleep consistency and self-evaluation are mutually reinforcing. Furthermore, a significant amount of the variation in self-esteem levels can be statistically explained by sleep hygiene, explaining 12.8% of the variance in scores, according to basic linear regression analysis. The results indicate that sleep hygiene is an important, changeable behavioural element that affects psychological wellbeing, even though it is a fairly strong predictor. These findings highlight the necessity of incorporating sleep hygiene education into student well-being programs in order to promote healthier self-concepts and resilience among young adults, given the distinct psychosocial context of Kashmir, which is marked by sociopolitical uncertainty and a lack of mental health resources.