Abstract

This study examined the task overload and its relationship to sleep quality and stress levels among fourth-year practice teaching and working student. Specifically, it aimed to determine the relationship between academic, work-related, and teaching demands and their impact on students’ well-being. A descriptive-correlational research approach was employed in the study, which included 52 Bachelor of Secondary Education students who had been simultaneously working and practice teaching. The study used a self-made questionnaire instruments specifically the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Perceived Stress Scale-4 (PSS-4). Stress level, task overload, and sleep quality were examined using statistical techniques such as the Shapiro-Wilk test, weighted mean, frequency and percentage distribution, and Spearman’s rho correlation. Findings revealed that task overload had a significant relationship with sleep quality in terms of sleep duration, sleep disturbances, and restfulness. Higher levels of task overload were associated with the poorer sleep quality. In addition, task overload showed a significant and strong relationship with stress level, particularly emotional strain and physical symptoms, while a moderate relationship was observed with coping ability. Overall results indicates that excessive academic, work, and teaching demands contribute to increased stress levels and decreased stress levels and decreased sleep quality among working and practice teaching students. It concludes that task overload negatively affects students’ physical and psychological well-being. It emphasizes the need for institutional interventions such as workload management strategies, stress reduction programs, sleep-support initiatives to promote better academic performance and overall well-being among working and practice teaching students.