Sleep Complaints Affecting School Performance at Different Educational Levels

Carol F Kwiatkowski,James F Pagel

doi:10.3389/fneur.2010.00125

Abstract

The clear association between reports of sleep disturbance and poor school performance has been documented for sleepy adolescents. This study extends that research to students outside the adolescent age grouping in an associated school setting (98 middle school students, 67 high school students, and 64 college students). Reported restless legs and periodic limb movements are significantly associated with lower GPA's in junior high students. Consistent with previous studies, daytime sleepiness was the sleep variable most likely to negatively affects high school students. Sleep onset and maintenance insomnia were the reported sleep variables significantly correlated with poorer school performance in college students. This study indicates that different sleep disorder variables negatively affect performance at different age and educational levels.

Highlights

This study extends that research to students outside the adolescent age grouping in an associated school setting (98 middle school students, 67 high school students, and 64 college students)
Sleep onset and maintenance insomnia were the reported sleep variables significantly correlated with poorer school performance in college students.This study indicates that different sleep disorder variables negatively affect performance at different age and educational levels
Summary and Conclusion A clear association exists between reports of sleep disturbance and poor school performance

Summary

Methods

Three samples of students were analyzed for this study: middle school (grades 6–8), high school (grades 9–11) and college students. The first two samples were assessed in the science and heath classes at associated middle and high schools in Pueblo, Colorado near the end of the 2005 school year. In order to simplify interpretation of the data and reduce categories with small numbers of responses, we aggregated the sleep data to compare response categories 3–5 to categories 1 and 2. This differentiated those who reported having the sleep problem at least once a week from those who had it less often

Results

Discussion

Conclusion