Exploring the Role of Sleep and Physical Activity in Academic Stress, Motivation, Self-Efficacy, and Dropout Intention Among Italian University Students

University years represent a period of major transition during which health-related behaviors, such as sleep and physical activity, may influence students' academic functioning. This cross-sectional, single-center study, conducted at an Italian university, examined the associations between sleep, physical activity, and academic well-being. Students completed an online survey assessing sleep, physical activity, and several indicators of academic functioning (i.e., academic stress, self-efficacy, dropout intention, and motivation). Nonparametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis, Jonckheere-Terpstra) were used to explore differences in these indicators across sleep quality and physical activity categories, while linear regressions tested associations between sleep duration and Metabolic Equivalent of Task-minutes/week with the same academic outcomes. A total of 2192 students (15.55%) accessed the survey, and 1246 (8.84%) completed all questionnaires. Most participants were female (62.7%) and Italian (94.5%). Both sleep and physical activity showed significant but small associations with academic stress, dropout intention, and self-efficacy, whereas associations with academic motivation were weaker. These findings suggest that maintaining regular physical activity and healthy sleep habits may contribute to students' academic adjustment, although the cross-sectional design limits causal interpretation and underscores the need for integrative models to better understand the underlying psychological mechanisms.