Too Pressured to Sleep? Exploring the Role of Study Motivation, Test Anxiety and Procrastination in University Students' Sleep Patterns During Exam Periods

During exams students are prone to disrupted sleep. The present two-wave longitudinal study examines the interplay between study motivation, test anxiety, academic procrastination, and sleep among 121 university students (78.5% female; Mage = 21.69, SD = 1.39). To estimate changes when approaching exams, participants completed surveys in the month preceding and during exams. Latent change models showed mean-level increases in controlled motivation, test anxiety, and poor sleep quality, while procrastination decreased. Structural models revealed strong concurrent and longitudinal links between controlled motivation and both test anxiety and procrastination. Procrastination was mainly associated with decreased sleep hygiene, while test anxiety was robustly linked to decreased sleep quality. Indirect effects from controlled motivation to poor sleep quality through test anxiety were significant. Autonomous motivation acted as a buffer against sleep problems. Findings underscore the importance of interventions targeting motivation quality, especially by minimising controlled motivation, to mitigate sleep problems during exams.