Sleep Duration Is Associated with Academic Achievement of Adolescent Girls in Mathematics.

Abstract

PurposeTo examine the associations between objective measures of sleep during the school week and academic achievement in mathematics and languages in typically developing adolescent girls.MethodsEighty adolescent girls aged 12–17 years (M=14.74, SD=1.3) participated. For five consecutive weeknights, sleep was assessed in the home environment using an actigraph. Academic achievement was assessed using report card grades.ResultsGirls who obtained on average less sleep than the recommended amount of 8 to 10 hrs per night had significantly lower grades in mathematics compared to girls who obtained the recommended amount (77.61 vs 86.16, respectively; ηp2=0.11). Hierarchical regression analyses adjusted for age, pubertal status, and socioeconomic status revealed that longer average sleep time was significantly associated with higher grades in mathematics (B=4.78, 95% CI [2.03,7.53]). No significant associations were found between sleep variables and grades in languages.ConclusionLonger average weekday sleep duration is associated with academic achievement of adolescent girls in mathematics.