The multiplicative effect of stress and sleep on academic cognitions in Latino college students

Latino students are increasingly represented in higher education within the United States, but remain one of the groups least likely to graduate from a four-year institution. Stress and sleep are factors that have been implicated in students’ academic success. This study examined concurrent and longitudinal interactive effects of stress and sleep on academic cognitions in a sample of 196 Latino students (M_age = 18.95; 64.4% female) in their second and third semester of college. Stress and actigraphy-measured sleep (duration, efficiency, midpoint, midpoint-variability) were measured in the second semester and academic cognitions (engagement, motivation, self-efficacy) were measured in the second and third semesters. Structural equation modeling revealed that higher stress was concurrently related to lower academic cognitions for students with consistently delayed sleep timings (e.g., later average midpoints) and longitudinally related to reduced academic functioning for students with lower sleep efficiency. These findings can inform programs that target stress-reduction and sleep hygiene among incoming college students.