University-wide chronotyping shows late-type students have lower grades, shorter sleep, and more absenteeism

Abstract Introduction A person’s preferred timing of nocturnal sleep (chronotype) has important implications for cognitive performance. Students who prefer to sleep late may have a selective learning disadvantage for morning classes due to inadequate sleep and circadian desynchrony. We tested whether late-type students perform worse only for morning classes, and we investigated factors that may contribute to their poorer academic achievement. Methods Chronotype was determined objectively in 33,645 university students (early, n = 3,965; intermediate, n = 23,787; late, n = 5,893) by analysing the diurnal distribution of their logins on the university’s Learning Management System (LMS). Linear mixed models were used to test for differences between chronotype groups in grade point average (n = 33,645), actigraphy-estimated sleep behaviour (n = 261), and class attendance estimated using Wi-Fi connection data (n = 17,356). Results Late-type students had lower grades than their peers for courses held at all different times of day, and during semesters when they had no morning classes. Actigraphy studies confirmed LMS-derived chronotype was associated with students’ sleep patterns. Nocturnal sleep on school days was shortest in late-type students because they went to bed later than the other chronotype groups and woke up earlier compared with non-school days. Wi-Fi connection logs for classrooms revealed that late-type students had lower lecture attendance than their peers for both morning and afternoon classes. Conclusion Large university-archived datasets can be used to assess relationships between chronotype and academic performance. Late-type students had lower grades, shorter sleep, and were more likely to miss classes. Shifting classes later may improve sleep and circadian synchrony in late-type students. However, this probably will not eliminate the performance gap because they still had lower grades when they only had afternoon classes. Interventions that focus on improving students’ well-being and learning strategies may be important for addressing the late-type academic disadvantage. Support (If Any) Data storage and management were supported by the NUS Office of the Senior Deputy President & Provost and ALSET. The work was funded by the Ministry of Education, Singapore (MOE2019-T2-2-074) and the National Research Foundation, Singapore (NRF2016-SOL002-001).