Written by Carolyn Burke, Content Writer
These 29 college student sleep statistics show why more than 50% of university students suffer from sleep deprivation and daytime sleepiness.
Historically, adults have not been super great at making sure we are getting adequate rest. We work too much and binge-watch too often in what little downtime we have. Thatโs why entire industries have been built around the premise of helping people get some much-needed rest.
But while us grownups were so busy worrying about our own sleepless nights, college students are facing a sleep deprivation epidemic that threatens their well-being.
Statistics and studies led us to believe students were doing just fine. Gone are the days of drunken pledges bombing exams. These days college students are forgoing wild parties and relying on technology to study up and improve their test scores.
But despite these promising changes, the kids are not alright. They are exhausted.
How Much Sleep Are Students Getting?
In a self-reported University of Arizona study, 23% of athletes reported experiencing fatigue at excessive levels.
A study conducted at Brown University concluded female students suffered from insomnia more often than male students. 30% of female respondents reported experiencing insomnia within the past 3 months, compared to 18% of the male respondents.
Most college students โ over half to be exact โ get less than 7 hours of sleep a night.
What Are the Effects of Sleep Deprivation on College Students?
Student-athletes frequently experience hallucinations and sleep paralysis because their busy schedules often affect their quality of sleep.
[4] American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Studies show sleep loss can hurt academic performance just as much as binge-drinking or drug use.
[5] Reuters
[6] Sleep Health Journal
Proteins called cytokines are produced less often when people are sleep deprived. Antibodies and cells that fight off infection are also produced in lower numbers. This means tired people are more likely to get sick!
Sleep debt can cause memory problems, mood regulation issues, and poor decision-making. Contrary to popular belief, the human body does not adjust to sleep debt.
Freshmen are more likely to suffer bad grades due to poor sleep. Not only that, but each additional night of bad sleep further increases the likelihood that a student will drop a class.
[5] Reuters
[6] Sleep Health Journal
Your major plays a factor in how much sleep you get.
Medical majors get the least quality sleep.
[9] American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Donโt pull an all-nighter before your big exam! Youโre more likely to lower your GPA that way, not โ improve it.
[9] American Academy of Sleep Medicine
1 in 4 University of Georgia students say sleep deprivation hurts their academic performance, causing lower grades, missing classwork, or skipped classes.
Sleep deprivation can cause all kinds of negative side effects like weight gain, a higher body mass index, and more body fat. Some people also lose the ability to tolerate larger amounts of exercise and experience cravings for unhealthy foods.
[11] The University of Rhode Island
Why Is This Happening?
Students complaining about boring professors have a point! Lectures cause failing grades to increase by 55% as compared to a more engaging learning environment. Kids just fall asleep in class!
[12] Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
[13] The Washington Post
Cellphones cause FOMO or the Fear Of Missing Out. Many students sleep with their phones under their pillows to avoid missing important calls or texts. This causes a disruption in their sleep cycles: They wake up every time the phone goes off and respond while half awake and barely coherent.
[11] The University of Rhode Island
Some experts think our cultureโs tendency to brag about being tired causes people to deprioritize sleep.
Classes start too early! The American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend classes begin no earlier than 8:30 AM.
[14] Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Irregular sleep patterns โ i.e. waking up and going to bed at random times โ can have the same detrimental effects as not getting enough sleep.
Stress is a key factor in poor sleep quality and some researchers think it affects students more than caffeine or alcohol consumption.
Adolescents and young adults have delayed circadian rhythm preferences, making them literal night owls!
[17] National Center for Biotechnology Information
Traditional Coping Mechanisms Donโt Help
30-50% of college students take naps but then end up staying awake longer at night, ultimately sleeping less overall.
People who take Adderall to aid cram sessions often experience insomnia and restlessness, creating an endless cycle of sleeplessness.
[17] University of California, Davis
Polyphasic sleep does not seem to help students feel more rested or improve grades.
Sleeping in on the weekends doesnโt always help. It can actually mess up the circadian rhythm even more because the body can only adjust to 2 extra hours of sleep.
05
What Are Colleges Doing to Combat Sleep Deprivation Among Students?
Penn Medโs sleep specialists educate kids on healthy sleep habits just in time for exam season.
Recommendations include napping less or earlier in the day, cutting back on caffeine, and exercising to stay alert.
The University of Arizona finds sleep education and tracking increases sleep quality and athletic performance.
Harvard students can take a sleep class to learn about sleep hygiene and how to establish healthy habits.
Baylor University offered students extra credit points for succeeding in โThe 8-hour Challengeโ. More sleep equals better grades โ a win-win.
Cuesta College is advocating a bill that would allow homeless students to safely sleep in their cars in the school parking lot.
For students in dorms with no air conditioning, Goucher College allowed students to sleep on cots in the campus library.
Carolyn Burke
Content Writer
About Author
Carolyn has worked as a writer, copyeditor, and social media manager since 2013. Her work can be found at various websites, including Bunny Ears, Crunchyroll, and Cracked. She tries to sleep as often as she can.
Combination Sleeper
References:
[1] โIntervention Could Help Student-Athletes Sleepโ. University of Arizona. Last modified Jan 19th, 2017.
[2] โSleep all day, work all night: Numerous college students experience sleep deprivationโ. The Slate. Last
modified February 15, 2016.
[3] โWhy You Should Make a Good Nightโs Sleep a Priorityโ. Harvard Summer School. Last modified May 28, 2021.
[4] โCollege students: getting enough sleep is vital to academic successโ. Last modified November 6, 2017.
[5] โSleep may impact college grades more than drinking or drugsโ. Reuters. Last modified September 11, 2018.
[6] โCalculating the contribution of sleep problems to undergraduatesโ academic successโ. Sleep Health Journal. Last modified August 3, 2018.
[7] โLack of sleep: Can it make you sick?โ. Mayo Clinic. November 28, 2018.
[8] โAs exam season hits, Penn Medicine sleep specialists advise students on napping techniquesโ. The Daily Pennsylvanian. Last modified February 18, 2019.
[9] โSleep paralysis and hallucinations are prevalent in student athletesโ. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Last modified June 4, 2018.
[10] โSleep and Academic Performanceโ. University of Georgia.
[11] โBedtime story: Study finds sleep-deprived studentsโ. The University of Rhode Island.
[12] โActive learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematicsโ. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Last modified May 12, 2014.
[13] โIt puts kids to sleep โ but teachers keep lecturing anyway. Hereโs what to do about itโ. The Washington Post. Last modified July 11, 2017.
[14] โIdentifying the Best Times for Cognitive Functioning Using New Methods: Matching University Times to Undergraduate Chronotypesโ. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. Last modified April 19, 2017.
[15] โIrregular sleep wake patterns are associated with poorer academic performance and delayed circadian and sleep/wake timingโ. Nature. Last modified June 12, 2017.
[16] โSleep Patterns and Predictors of Disturbed Sleep in a Large Population of College Studentsโ. Journal of Adolescent Health. Last modified February 2010.
[17] โCauses and consequences of sleepiness among college studentsโ. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Last modified June 23, 2014. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4075951/
[18] โAdderall Abuse Among College Studentsโ. American Addiction Centers. Last modified July 5, 2022.
[19] โMany college students donโt sleep well. This Harvard course hopes to change thatโ. The Boston Globe. Last modified September 8, 2018.
[20] โBetter Sleep โ Not โAll-Nightersโ โ Helps Students on Final Examsโ. Baylor University. Last modified December 3, 2018.
[21] โNew bill would let homeless Cuesta College students sleep in their cars on campusโ. The San Luis Obispo Tribune. Last modified February 5, 2019.
[22] โItโs so hot in some dorm rooms at this Maryland college, students can sleep on cots in the libraryโ. The Baltimore Sun. Last modified August 30, 2018.