Sueño y Estrés: Su Relación Con el Rendimiento Académico En Niños

Abstract

Introduction: A good quality and quantity of night-time sleep is an essential factor in enabling adequate daytime functioning. Sleep can be altered due to a multiplicity of factors, acknowledging stress experienced during the day as one of them. This study proposes to analyze to what extent perceived stress and the quality and quantity of sleep affect the academic performance of elementary school students. Methodology: The sample consisted of 465 students from 6 to 12 years old and their teachers, who answered questions about academic performance, raiting it according to a 5-point scale. Children answered the Children's Daily Stress Inventory (Inventario Infan�l de Estresores Co�dianos, IIEC) and the BEARS Ques�onnaire in order to know the quality and quan�ty of sleep. Results: We found out that there is a sleep debt in all ages. 54,6 % of children do not sleep the recommended hours and 83,4% reported different sleep difficulties. 48,4 % of children show a high level of stress. Children who show lower stress perception and a betier sleep profile are the ones who obtain better academic performance. Conclusions: These findings set out the need for a psychoeducational approach to these variables in order to optimize school performances and promote health at this evolutionary stage.