Nighttime Sleep Awakening Frequency and Its Consistency Predict Future Academic Performance in College Students

Ghee Wee Ho, Zhenzhi Yang, Linna Xing, Ken Kang-Too Tsang, Huada Daniel Ruan and Yu Li
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Ghee Wee Ho: Applied Psychology Programme, Division of Science and Technology, BNU-HKBU United International College, 2000 Jintong Rd, Tangjiawan, Zhuhai 519087, China
Zhenzhi Yang: Applied Psychology Programme, Division of Science and Technology, BNU-HKBU United International College, 2000 Jintong Rd, Tangjiawan, Zhuhai 519087, China
Linna Xing: Applied Psychology Programme, Division of Science and Technology, BNU-HKBU United International College, 2000 Jintong Rd, Tangjiawan, Zhuhai 519087, China
Ken Kang-Too Tsang: Statistics Programme, Division of Science and Technology, BNU-HKBU United International College, Zhuhai 519087, China
Huada Daniel Ruan: Environmental Science Programme, Division of Science and Technology, BNU-HKBU United International College, Zhuhai 519087, China
Yu Li: Applied Psychology Programme, Division of Science and Technology, BNU-HKBU United International College, 2000 Jintong Rd, Tangjiawan, Zhuhai 519087, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 5, 1-13

Abstract: Although the relationship between sleep and academic performance has been extensively examined, how sleep predicts future academic performance (e.g., 2–3 years) remains to be further investigated. Using wearable smartwatches and a self-report questionnaire, we tracked sleep activities of 45 college students over a period of approximately half a month to see whether their sleep activities predicted their academic performance, which was estimated by grade point average (GPA). Results showed that both nighttime sleep awakening frequency and its consistency in the tracking period were not significantly correlated with the GPA for the courses taken in the sleep tracking semester (current GPA). However, both nighttime sleep awakening frequency and its consistency inversely predicted the GPA for the rest of the courses taken after that semester (future GPA). Moreover, students with more difficulty staying awake throughout the day obtained lower current and future GPAs, and students with higher inconsistency of sleep quality obtained lower future GPA. Together, these findings highlight the importance of nighttime sleep awakening frequency and consistency in predicting future academic performance, and emphasize the necessity of assessing the consistency of sleep measures in future studies.

Keywords: sleep; academic performance; grade point average; college students; wearable device; longitudinal; nighttime sleep awakening (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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