The Effect of Sleep Quality on Academic Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Study

Researchers have long speculated that sleep quality is tied to academic performance. This paper examines this relationship through a meta-analysis using the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. To clarify the relationship between sleep quality and academic performance, this study examined data from 72 independent effect sizes extracted from 59 articles involving 163,357 participants. The results indicate a modest positive correlation between sleep quality and academic performance (r = 0.17). Factors such as social jetlag significantly but negatively moderated the relationship between sleep quality and academic performance (r = −0.104), while sleep duration showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.132). The school subject (Q = 14.986), age of participants (Q = 8.606), and culture (Q = 4.585) were significant moderators. Furthermore, while the research method did not significantly moderate the relationship between sleep quality and academic performance, the positive and significant association is robust across self-reported, objectively measured, and other-reported sleep quality, despite descriptive differences in effect-size magnitude. Given that sleep is an important physiological process associated with learning and development, students’ sleep quality warrants careful attention.