Sleep problems are part of everyday life for many students, and they represent not only an individual concern but also a public health issue. In a study we conducted with more than 1,500 students from various disciplines, we took a closer look at sleep quality and were able to identify four distinct profiles. While the majority of participants reported average sleep quality, smaller groups showed an increased risk of insomnia, above-average sleep quality, or patterns marked by daytime tiredness and the use of medication.
Moreover, difficulties falling asleep and daytime sleepiness were common across almost all groups. We also found that factors such as stress, gender, age, field of study, and subjective health status were linked to the respective sleep profiles. For example, female students and those experiencing higher stress were more likely to belong to an insomnia risk profile. Older students and those enrolled in State examination programs, on the other hand, were more frequently represented in the “Medicated Sleepiness” profile.
Our findings highlight the heterogeneous nature of student sleep quality and the need for a more nuanced understanding. For prevention and health promotion, this means that one-size-fits-all approaches are not sufficient. Instead, targeted measures are needed that address the diverse challenges students face and thereby contribute more effectively to improving sleep health.
Schmickler, J. M., Blaschke, S., Mess, F., Olson, N., Reiner, B., Schulz, T., & Friedrich, J. (2025). Sleep in the academic sphere: identifying sleep profiles and their influencing factors using latent profile analysis in German university students. BMC Psychology, 13(1), 907. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03280-0