Beyond rest: the role of sleep in adolescent well-being and academic performance

Introduction: Sleep plays a vital role in the physical and mental health, well-being, and academic performance of adolescents. Objective: Examine the association between sleep duration, health, well-being, and academic performance among Portuguese adolescents. Methods: Data were analyzed from two independent samples collected in 2022 and 2024 as part of the Psychological Health and Well-being Observatory of the Directorate-General for Education and Science Statistics (OSPBE/DGEEC). Independent samples t-tests and Pearson's chi-square test were used to analyze gender differences, as well as analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine differences in sleep duration. Results: A total of 7,306 students participated in the study, 4,295 in 2022 and 3,011 in 2024. In 2022, 52.2% of participants were female, with a mean age of 13.40 years (SD = 2.44). In 2024, the proportion of female participants decreased to 50.5%, and the mean age rose to 13.64 years (SD = 2.53). Statistically significant differences were observed based on gender, academic performance, and sleep duration. Girls, adolescents with lower academic performance, and those who slept fewer than eight hours per night exhibited poorer indicators of well-being and mental health. Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of equipping adolescents with the knowledge and resources necessary to adopt health-promoting behaviors and reduce potential risk behaviors associated with insufficient sleep.