BACKGROUND Dysfunctional beliefs about sleep may influence academic performance through their impact on sleep quality. Differences in chronotype can further moderate this relationship, particularly among students with irregular sleep patterns. AIM To examine the indirect effects of dysfunctional beliefs about sleep on academic performance through sleep quality while considering individual differences in chronotypes among medical students. METHODS The participants were categorized by chronotype and administered the Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and reported their grade point averages (GPAs). Mediation analysis was performed to examine indirect pathways through sleep quality. RESULTS Dysfunctional sleep beliefs did not directly affect academic success but indirectly impaired GPA via reduced sleep quality, especially in evening-type students. CONCLUSION Chronotype moderates the relationship between sleep quality and academic performance, highlighting the need for targeted cognitive interventions.
Altınöz et al. (2025) studied this question.