Sleep and circadian predictors of academic performance and retention in STEM pathways: a longitudinal study in university freshmen
Abstract
Many believe that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students must sacrifice their sleep to achieve academic success. In striking contrast, the current research demonstrates that better sleep health in freshmen STEM majors predicted better academic success, even after accounting for mental health, fluid intelligence, and prior academic performance. The current work was the first to document that sleep health predicted better persistence in a STEM track across 2 yr.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Sleep and related disorders
Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
Grit
Self-Efficacy
and Motivation
Publication details
- Journal / source
- AJP Advances in Physiology Education
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Volume
- 50
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 394–401
- Publication date
- 2 March 2026
- Language
- EN