Academic Performance, Employment, and Sleep Health: A Comparison between Working and Nonworking Students

Abstract

Interest in overall health and well-being of students in higher education has grown. Retention and success in college has been linked to various health aspects including sleep and alchol usage. The purpose of this study is to: 1) assess sleep health and related behaviors, 2) examine relationships between sleep health and work conditions, and 3) determine if there is a relationship between sleep health and academic performance. Because many students work in service industries due to the flexibility of these jobs, comparisons are made between students working in service industries, students working in other industries, and non-working students. The online survey data from 736 participants, representing six U.S. universities, was analyzed. Findings indicated that average grade point was associated with sleep, work hours, and household income; student employees working in the service industry had a sleep score slightly lower than students working elsewhere.