The relationship between sleep quality and cognitive performance in a sample of Colombian adults

Sleep plays a vital role in cognitive regulation, memory consolidation and brain health. In Colombia, sleep patterns may be influenced by cultural and socioeconomic factors such as co-sleeping, occupational stress and limited healthcare access, which can exacerbate sleep-related disorders like sleep apnoea. This study examined the relationship between objectively measured sleep quality and cognitive performance in Colombian adults with sleep apnoea. We hypothesised that poorer sleep quality, which is characterised by lower efficiency and more apnoea (hypopnoea events), would be associated with poorer memory and executive performance, and that age would intensify this effect. Thirty adults aged 30-59 years underwent overnight polysomnography and a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. A composite sleep quality index was derived through principal component analysis and analysed using gamma regression controlling for age and gender. Results showed that better sleep quality predicted superior performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (β = 4.04, p = .032) and the Wechsler Memory Scale (β = 4.43, p = .032), supporting the primary hypothesis. These findings suggest that disrupted sleep architecture selectively affects neural systems underlying executive control and memory. Integrating sleep assessments into neuropsychological evaluations may enhance diagnosis and guide interventions to improve cognitive resilience in Colombian adults with sleep-related disorders.