The impact of sleep, mental health, and gender on academic performance in Canadian university students
PurposeTo understand the independent and combined effects of sleep and mental health on academic performance, while also exploring gender differences.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was distributed to undergraduate students at two Canadian universities in March 2022. Sleep quality and quantity was a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Education |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1565920/full |
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| author | Tara Kuhn Jennifer J. Heisz Laura E. Middleton Laura E. Middleton |
| author_facet | Tara Kuhn Jennifer J. Heisz Laura E. Middleton Laura E. Middleton |
| author_sort | Tara Kuhn |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | PurposeTo understand the independent and combined effects of sleep and mental health on academic performance, while also exploring gender differences.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was distributed to undergraduate students at two Canadian universities in March 2022. Sleep quality and quantity was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Mental health variables included stress, depression, and anxiety. Academic performance was self-reported as students’ cumulative percent average. Multiple linear regressions were used to investigate how (1) sleep, (2) mental health, (3) sleep and mental health together related to academic performance. These analyses were then repeated, stratified by gender.ResultsA total of 1,258 undergraduate students participated. While mental health and sleep duration predicted academic performance among the whole sample, there were important gender differences. In gender-stratified data, sleep quality and quantity predicted academic performance in men but not mental health in the combined model. For women, stress, depression, and anxiety predicted academic performance but not sleep quality. Sleep duration squared, but not sleep duration simply, was associated with academic performance in women.ConclusionSleep and mental health are essential for academic performance in undergraduate students. Further, gender may play a critical role. Universities should consider gender-specific supports to improve the wellbeing of their students. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8d1abf2e6608476bb4ebf47b7bd049be |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2504-284X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-8d1abf2e6608476bb4ebf47b7bd049be2025-08-20T02:28:19ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2025-05-011010.3389/feduc.2025.15659201565920The impact of sleep, mental health, and gender on academic performance in Canadian university studentsTara Kuhn0Jennifer J. Heisz1Laura E. Middleton2Laura E. Middleton3Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, CanadaDepartment of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, CanadaDepartment of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, CanadaSchlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging, Waterloo, ON, CanadaPurposeTo understand the independent and combined effects of sleep and mental health on academic performance, while also exploring gender differences.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was distributed to undergraduate students at two Canadian universities in March 2022. Sleep quality and quantity was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Mental health variables included stress, depression, and anxiety. Academic performance was self-reported as students’ cumulative percent average. Multiple linear regressions were used to investigate how (1) sleep, (2) mental health, (3) sleep and mental health together related to academic performance. These analyses were then repeated, stratified by gender.ResultsA total of 1,258 undergraduate students participated. While mental health and sleep duration predicted academic performance among the whole sample, there were important gender differences. In gender-stratified data, sleep quality and quantity predicted academic performance in men but not mental health in the combined model. For women, stress, depression, and anxiety predicted academic performance but not sleep quality. Sleep duration squared, but not sleep duration simply, was associated with academic performance in women.ConclusionSleep and mental health are essential for academic performance in undergraduate students. Further, gender may play a critical role. Universities should consider gender-specific supports to improve the wellbeing of their students.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1565920/fullsleepgendermental healthdepressionanxietystress |
| spellingShingle | Tara Kuhn Jennifer J. Heisz Laura E. Middleton Laura E. Middleton The impact of sleep, mental health, and gender on academic performance in Canadian university students Frontiers in Education sleep gender mental health depression anxiety stress |
| title | The impact of sleep, mental health, and gender on academic performance in Canadian university students |
| title_full | The impact of sleep, mental health, and gender on academic performance in Canadian university students |
| title_fullStr | The impact of sleep, mental health, and gender on academic performance in Canadian university students |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of sleep, mental health, and gender on academic performance in Canadian university students |
| title_short | The impact of sleep, mental health, and gender on academic performance in Canadian university students |
| title_sort | impact of sleep mental health and gender on academic performance in canadian university students |
| topic | sleep gender mental health depression anxiety stress |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1565920/full |
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