Childhood Sleep Duration and Academic Achievement: Effect Modification of Sociodemographic and Environmental Factors

OBJECTIVE: To assess early adolescents' academic achievement in relation to sleep and how this association may vary across sociodemographic and environmental characteristics. METHOD: Data on sixth to eighth graders (n = 262) were from the 2009 New York City Child Community Health Survey. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess associations between sleep duration and academic performance. Effect modification by sociodemographic and environmental variables was tested. RESULTS: While there was no direct association between children's sleep duration and academic achievement, the association between sleep duration and high academic achievement significantly varied by household crowding. CONCLUSION: This study provides further support for the 9-11 h of sleep recommendations for children ages 6-13 by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) and points to sufficient sleep as being especially influential for academic achievement in less crowded households.