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Paradoxical association between chronotype and academic achievement: eveningness reduces academic achievement through sleep disturbance and daytime sleepiness

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Abstract

There are conflicting reports about the association between chronotype and academic achievement. Eveningness persons tend to have lower academic achievement, but have higher cognitive abilities. We hypothesized that sleep disturbance and daytime sleepiness, which are known to affect academic achievement, will interact with this association. To investigate the association, a sleep survey and covariance structure analysis was performed on high-school students. Among a total of 344 first-year high-school students, 294 students validly completed the questionnaire. The association between the recent change in their academic achievement, chronotype, daytime sleepiness, and sleep disturbance were analyzed. A simple comparison demonstrated that not chronotype but sleep disturbance and excessive daytime sleepiness were significant associated factors. Chronotype affects academic achievement through sleep disturbance and daytime sleepiness. Chronotype did not have a significant total effect on the reduction in academic achievement, whereas morningness had a significant direct effect and a significant indirect inverse effect through better sleep and less daytime sleepiness. This model accounted for 13.0% of the variance of the reduction in academic achievement. When discussing the association between chronotype and academic achievement, the effect of sleep disturbance and daytime sleepiness should be considered. Reducing sleep disturbance and daytime sleepiness with consideration to the chronotype of each person would be beneficial for the improvement of academic achievement.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant number JP17K10343.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1 Nishi-shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0023, Japan

    Akiyoshi Shimura & Takeshi Inoue

  2. Tokyo Gakugei University International Secondary School, 5-22-1 Higashi-Oizumi, Nerima-ku, Tokyo, 178-0063, Japan

    Hideo Sakai

  3. Tokyo Gakugei University Senior High School, 4-1-5 Shimouma, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 154-0002, Japan

    Hideo Sakai

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  1. Akiyoshi Shimura
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  3. Takeshi Inoue
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Correspondence to Akiyoshi Shimura.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interests associated with this manuscript. Akiyoshi Shimura has received fees from Dainihon Sumitomo Pharma, MSD, and Eisai outside of the submitted work. Takeshi Inoue has received personal compensation from GlaxoSmithKline, Mochida Pharmaceutical, Asahi Kasei Pharma, and Shionogi; grants from Astellas; and grants and personal compensation from Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma, Eli Lilly, Eisai, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, Pfizer, AbbVie GK, MSD, Yoshitomiyakuhin, Takeda Pharmaceutical, and Meiji Seika Pharma; and is a member of the advisory boards of GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Mochida Pharmaceutical, and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma outside of the submitted work.

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Shimura, A., Sakai, H. & Inoue, T. Paradoxical association between chronotype and academic achievement: eveningness reduces academic achievement through sleep disturbance and daytime sleepiness. Sleep Biol. Rhythms 20, 353–359 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41105-022-00375-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41105-022-00375-8

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