Variability in sleep duration, onset increase risk for school-related issues in teens

Key takeaways:

• Nearly 800 teens wore sleep tracker, answered survey on grades and past or current behavioral issues at school.
• Greater variability in sleep onset, offset, duration linked to poorer grades, behavioral issues.

INDIANAPOLIS — Greater variability in sleep duration and sleep onset were risk factors for academic or disciplinary issues among adolescents, according to preliminary research.

“Stabilizing sleep schedules in adolescents may be an important tool to promote functioning at school,” Gina Mathew, PhD, MA, lead study author and postdoctoral associate at Stony Brook Medicine, said in a related release regarding data to be presented at SLEEP.

With paucity of research on correlations between sleep dynamics and school-related outcomes, researchers sought to examine associations of several actigraphic sleep dimensions with behavior and academic performance in adolescents.

Mathew and colleagues accessed data from nearly 800 adolescent students from a sub-study of the age 15 wave of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Participants wore a wrist-actigraphy device for approximately 1 week, while also asked to complete a survey about their current grades as well as past or current issues at school.

Researchers used linear and logistic regression models to determine whether actigraphic sleep duration, timing, maintenance efficiency, variability in duration and timing, and sleep regularity index affected grades and behavioral issues at school.

According to results, increased variability in sleep onset was associated with higher odds of receiving a D or F (OR = 1.29) or failing any course (OR = 1.26), while fewer A grades were associated with later sleep onset and offset as well as greater variability in sleep duration.

In addition, later sleep offset (OR = 1.11) and greater variability in sleep duration (OR = 1.31) and onset (OR = 1.42) were linked to increased odds of receiving suspension or expulsion in the previous 2 years.

Researchers also found a correlation between later sleep onset (OR = 0.91) and offset (OR = 0.91) and greater variability in sleep offset (OR = 0.83) and lower odds of honors course enrollment.

Data additionally showed greater variability in sleep duration was associated with more behavioral problems in school, while sleep duration, maintenance efficiency and sleep regularity index were not associated with school-related outcomes.

“The results highlight the importance of early, regular sleep timing and duration for optimal academic performance and school-related behavioral functioning in adolescence,” Mathew said in the release.

Reference:

• Teens with irregular sleep patterns have higher risk of school problems. https://www.sleepmeeting.org/teens-irregular-sleep-patterns-higher-risk-school-problems/. Published May 30, 2023. Accessed June 4, 2023.