Association between sleep disorders and academic performance: Finding of health survey and academic performance in the Bio-Bio province 2018

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the association between sleep disorders, behaviors associated with cognition, and academic performance in elementary school students. Subjects and Method: Analytical and cross-sectional research including 733 students from 5th and 8th grades from public schools participating in the study “Health survey and academic performance in the Bio-Bio Province 2018”. The sleep disorders were reported through a sleep self-report questionnaire, and the academic performance was measured through the grade point average (GPA) in subjects language, mathematics, physical education, general point averages, and perception of cognitive functions in a school context. Results: 81.9% of the schoolchildren indicated problems with bedtime routines. The students with sleep disorders of both sexes presented higher memory problems, are slower in resolving math problems, have higher difficulties to maintain attention in classes, have more problems solving complex tasks, and more nervousness during a test than the student classified as not having sleep disorders. Additionally, the students with sleep disorders presented lower grades in their GPA and the subjects mathematics, language, and physical education than those students without sleep disorders. Conclusion: A high prevalence of bedtime routine problems was detected as well as an association between sleep disorders and lower academic performance together with a worse perception of cognitive functions in schoolchildren. Implementing health promotion strategies, focused on sleep hygiene in educational centers could improve academic performance.