How were insomnia and sleep duration linked to exam failure among Norwegian students?

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The study examined associations between insomnia, sleep duration and self-reported academic performance or failure in a large sample of Norwegian college and university students. The cross-sectional survey included 50,054 full-time students aged 18–35 years, 69% of whom were women; their mean age was 23.2 years (SD 3.3), and the response rate was 31%. Researchers used binary logistic regression to examine associations of an approximation of insomnia disorder and sleep duration with failed examinations and delayed study progress. Insomnia was associated with higher odds of failed examinations (odds ratio adjusted for background variables 1.31, 95% CI 1.25–1.37, p < 0.001) and delayed study progress (adjusted OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.22–1.42, p < 0.001). Sleep duration had a curvilinear relationship with academic failure: compared with sleeping 7–9 hours, sleeping less than 5 hours was associated with higher odds of failed examinations (adjusted OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.33–1.63, p < 0.001), as was sleeping 10 hours or more (adjusted OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.33–1.75, p < 0.001). The authors concluded that insomnia and deviations from an optimal sleep duration may have notable consequences for academic success in higher education.