Late-Night Digital Engagement, Academic Fatigue, and Their Impact on Academic Performance among Moroccan Secondary Students

Abstract Background: Late-night digital activity has become a common feature of adolescents’ daily lives, yet its academic and cognitive consequences remain underexplored in North African contexts. While sleep deprivation is often cited as a cause of reduced performance, academic fatigue may represent an equally critical mechanism through which digital overuse affects learning. This study examines how late bedtime and academic fatigue interact to influence self-rated academic performance among Moroccan secondary students. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 311 students aged 15–19 years (56% female) in Fez, Morocco. The questionnaire assessed bedtime routines, digital activity before sleep, indicators of academic fatigue, and perceived academic performance. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and Cramer’s V coefficients were used to analyze relationships among variables, while qualitative comments were thematically reviewed to enrich the quantitative findings. Results: Most respondents (76.8%) reported sleeping after 11 p.m., and 22.2% after 1 a.m. More than 70% indicated experiencing morning fatigue or difficulty focusing at school. Both late bedtime and higher levels of academic fatigue were significantly associated with lower self-evaluations of academic performance (χ²(12) = 25.69, p = 0.012). Qualitative responses revealed that students often perceived late-night screen use as a source of freedom and relaxation, despite recognizing its contribution to tiredness and reduced study efficiency. Conclusion: The findings suggest that academic fatigue plays a key role in mediating the impact of late-night digital engagement on school performance. Sleep hygiene education, balanced workload management, and digital awareness programs could help Moroccan adolescents mitigate fatigue-related academic decline.