published September 17, 2021 - updated February 18, 2025 
Sleep deprivation and students go hand in hand. Between classes, exams, work, extracurricular and social activities, and homework high school and college students aren’t getting enough sleep each night, which can have a major impact on their health as well as their GPAs. Learn why catching enough Z’s can help you earn more A’s, and get strategies to create and maintain a healthy balance between life, school and sleep.
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How Much Sleep is Enough?
Getting a good night’s rest has a number of benefits, but how many hours is considered “good”? Everyone has heard the general advice that people should get at least eight hours of sleep per night. But the amount of sleep people need varies depending on their age group. For teenagers in high school, eight hours of sleep is the minimum amount, but for good health, they should really get up to ten. College students, on the other hand, should get about seven to nine hours of sleep. This amount is also generally recommended for online students who are over the age of 26.
But that’s not all. Sleep pattern is also important. Factors that can affect sleep pattern include:
- Sleep latency – How long it takes to go from “lights out” to asleep
- Sleep efficiency – The total time in bed compared to time spent sleeping
- Wake after sleep onset – Or “WASO”, which is the amount of time you wake up in the middle of the night before actually waking up
- Wake time after sleep offset – Or “WASF”, which accounts for long periods of wakefulness after an unusual early morning awakening
- REM latency – The time between sleep onset and REM sleep
A good night’s rest is a combination of enough hours of sleep and quality sleep patterns.
Benefits of a Proper Night’s Rest
Getting a good night’s sleep can make students feel like they can tackle everything on their plate. But that’s not the only reason to get enough sleep. Teens and college students who fit in seven to eight hours of sleep every night are more likely to see the following benefits:
Improved grades. Studies show that students who get a good night’s sleep perform better academically. Research conducted by the University of Georgia found that one in four students surveyed reported that sleep deprivation negatively impacted their grades and in some cases, resulted in the need to withdraw from a course entirely. The journal Scientific Reports also found that students who didn’t maintain a regular sleep schedule were more likely to perform poorly in class compared to those who did.
Better memory. High school and college students need to process tons of new information daily during their waking hours. That information is then sorted and organized by the brain during sleep cycles. The more sleep students get, the more efficient their brain is at retaining important information and setting aside things that are irrelevant.
Lowered risk of obesity. There’s a reason why all-night cramming sessions and pizza go together so well. When students are sleep deprived, the body produces more of the “hunger hormone” ghrelin, which stimulates appetite and promotes fat storage. As a result, your body craves high calorie foods. But the chances of weight gain associated with lack of sleep don’t end there. Sleep increases leptin levels in the body, which is a hormone designed to curb appetite.
Decreased chances of getting sick. Students who are sleep deprived are more likely to get sick because their immune systems aren’t functioning at the most optimal level. During sleep, the body releases proteins called cytokines, which are needed when you have an infection or are under stress. If you’re chronically sleep deprived, cytokine production is reduced and your body also releases fewer antibodies, which makes you more susceptible to viruses. Lack of sleep also affects recovery time so when you do get a cold or the flu, it’ll take you longer to get over it.
Improved mood. Good sleep leads to mental well-being. Even just one night of disturbed sleep or not enough sleep can make students feel moody, irritable, sad and sluggish the next day. And prolonged sleep deprivation can lead to more serious mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.
Consequences of Sleep Loss
Students who get enough sleep can reap many benefits, but those who don’t may suffer serious consequences. The following are some examples of the problems that sleep deprivation can cause.
Impaired brain development
Sleep deprivation can be particularly harmful for teens. “The striatum/basal ganglia undergoes a change during adolescence,” says Dr. Lynelle M. Schneeberg, Assistant Clinical Professor at the Yale School of Medicine and the Director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center’s Sleep Center. “If students are deprived of sleep during this period of their life, they’re more likely to have decreased activity in this part of the brain, which is the part that affects risk-taking behavior.”
Poor coordination
When you’re sleep deprived, you’re not as alert or coordinated. This might not sound like such a big deal but if you’re a student who commutes to and from school, it can be. The National Center for Biotechnology Information reports that in a survey of 1,039 college students, 16% admitted to drowsy driving and 2% percent said they got into a car accident due to lack of sleep. And if you’re a sleep deprived student-athlete, your performance and coordination will likely suffer and could cost your team a win.
Increased negative feelings, including suicide
Insufficient sleep can make some students feel hopeless and even suicidal. A study published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence examined suburban high school students in Fairfax County, Virginia who had very early school start times and found that each hour of sleep a teenager lost was associated with a 38% increase in hopeless feelings and a 42% increase in suicidal thoughts. Each hour of sleep lost was also associated with a 58% increase in actual suicide attempts.
8 Expert Tips to Help You Get Enough Sleep
Sometimes getting a good night’s rest is a lot easier said than done. But even the most sleep deprived student can get back on track – and develop better sleep hygiene – with these expert tips:
Take proper naps (but limit them)
Did you know there’s a proper way to take a nap? It might sound counterintuitive but daytime naps can really put a kink in your nighttime sleeping if done wrong. “Avoid naps if you can,” says Dr. Aneesa Das, MD, Assistant Director of The Ohio State Sleep Disorders Center. “If you need to take a nap, do it before 4 p.m. and it should be no more than 20 to 30 minutes to avoid that groggy feeling that occurs when you’re awakened suddenly during your sleep cycle.”
Avoid afternoon caffeine
While caffeine is often the drink of choice among students who need to fuel lengthy study sessions or all-night paper writing, it’s best to avoid coffee and other caffeinated drinks after about four in the afternoon or earlier. Caffeine can impact sleep for up to eight hours after students drink it because it increases brain wave activity. Even if you’re able to fall asleep during this time, it will be lighter and less restorative than it should be.
Shut off all electronics before bed
This is a tough one for most teens and young adults but sleep specialist Dr. Whitney Roban says students should stop using electronic devices at least an hour before going to bed. “The blue light emitted from electronics tricks your brain into thinking it’s day time and your body decreases the amount of melatonin it secretes, which makes it more difficult to fall asleep,” she explains.
Don’t fall asleep with the TV on
Some students say the soft sounds of a television helps them fall asleep. That may be true but having the TV on does nothing for the quality of your sleep. As programs change or go in and out of commercials, there are variations in audio. You might not be fully awake during this time and may not even wake up at all, but these small variations can affect overall sleep quality.
Set a regular sleep schedule and stick to it
“To function optimally, your body clock needs regularity,” says Dr. Ann Romaker, Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the UC College of Medicine, and Director of the University of Cincinnati Sleep Medicine Center. She goes on to say most people can handle an hour’s difference from day to day, but staying up all night, even just one night, and then sleeping all the next day can mess up your body clock and throw you off for over a week. “There are clock genes in every organ, and they need to remain coordinated for the immune system, hormonal systems, heart, lungs, brain, etc. to function optimally and to repair damage from the preceding wake period,” she says.
Create a space that maximizes sleep
Environment and ambiance can make a big difference when it comes to getting a good night’s rest. Creating a designated, comfortable area that’s only for sleeping can help your mind and body prepare for quality sleep. “Arrange your bedroom or dorm room into three zones – one for sleeping, one for relaxing and one for studying,” recommends Schneeberg. “This will help keep the bed associated only with sleeping.”
Practice meditation
Meditation is the practice of slowing down the mind by focusing on the breath or a mantra. It can help students improve their sleep because it slows down metabolic activity. In addition, meditation is associated with reduced anxiety and feelings of anxiety can easily keep any student up at night.
Consider sleep medications or natural supplements
Students who suffer from insomnia may want to consider seeing a doctor to discuss sleep medications like zaleplon, zolpidem, eszopiclone and doxepine. These medications improve your sleep/wake cycle, making a better night’s sleep more possible. If you prefer a more natural approach, supplements like magnesium, calcium and melatonin may help combat sleep problems.
Why College Students & Teens Are Sleep Deprived
Good sleep is dependent on several factors – a regular sleep/wake schedule, a quiet environment and healthy diet, to name a few. But in most cases, teens and college students aren’t able to achieve those things. Studying/homework is a major contributing factor for sleep deprivation among college and high school students, but it’s not the only one. Other top reasons include:
How to Balance Sleep & Studying
As a student, it may feel like you always have to study. While that’s fairly accurate, it doesn’t mean you can’t find a good balance between sleep and studying. To find a happy medium that works for your lifestyle, your mind and your body, try the following:
Create a study routine
A regular study routine can ensure you learn everything you need know and still have enough time to get seven to ten hours of sleep in at night. Start by listing out everything you have to do, then break tasks up into smaller, manageable segments. This could mean studying math for 1-2 hours in the morning, reading for philosophy 1-2 hours in the afternoon, and working on that psychology paper in the early evening. It’s also helpful to create a designated study zone – one that’s comfortable and free from distractions.
Use your calendar
Limit stress and prevent all-night cramming sessions by keeping a calendar of all upcoming tests and important deadlines – and keep an eye on it. If you see a test is coming up soon, plan ahead and start hitting the books early.
Don’t overdo it
Some high school students sign up for every single AP class to improve their chances of getting into a top college. Some college students sign up for too many classes because they think doing so will help them graduate faster. In most cases, however, this ends up being a recipe for disaster. While it’s good to go above and beyond, it’s also important to not over do things. If you’re unsure of what’s realistic, talk to an academic advisor, teacher or to friends who are farther along to come up with a balanced schedule.
Meet with your advisor regularly
To find a healthy balance between sleep and studying, you have to keep the big picture in mind, not just the day-to-day things. Make sure you’re meeting all academic requirements and are on track by meeting with your academic advisor regularly. This can help limit stress and ensures you won’t have to sacrifice sleep to suddenly take on an aggressive course load to graduate on time.
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