Sleep Quality as a Low-Burden Indicator of Sleep-Wake Strain and Academic Functioning in Two-Year College Students

Background/Objectives: To test whether subjective sleep quality is associated with academic functioning in two-year college students and to evaluate the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) as a low-burden indicator of sleep-wake strain. Methods We conducted a one-time, anonymous web-based survey at a Midwestern two-year community college (n = 209). Sleep quality was assessed with the PSQI (0–21, with higher scores indicating worse sleep). Students self-reported cumulative grade point average (GPA; 0–4). We used linear regression models for cumulative GPA and logistic regression models for GPA < 3.0, adjusted for age, gender, and enrollment status. Results Poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5) was prevalent (73.7%). Higher PSQI scores were associated with lower cumulative GPA (β = -0.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.08 to -0.02), corresponding to an estimated 0.05-point decrease in GPA on the 0–4 scale for each 1-point increase in PSQI. Higher PSQI scores were also associated with higher odds of GPA < 3.0 (OR = 1.18; 95% CI, 1.09–1.29), corresponding to an 18% increase in the odds of GPA < 3.0 for each 1-point increase in PSQI. Conclusions Worse subjective sleep quality was associated with poorer academic performance and greater odds of GPA < 3.0 among two-year college students. As a brief screening tool, the PSQI may serve as a first-pass indicator of sleep-wake strain in two-year college settings. However, it does not directly measure circadian phase, sleep timing, social jetlag, or day-to-day regularity. Future studies should incorporate rhythm-specific measures to clarify circadian and homeostatic pathways more directly.