How many hours of sleep does a student need?

Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Sleep is essential for good physical and mental health.

In fact, most of the benefits of a good night’s sleep directly impact brain functioning. Sleep helps:

Over 50% of WashU students reported feeling tired, dragged out or sleepy during the day three or more days of the week.
2017 NCHA Survey

Sleep Hygiene

Wear clothing/use bedding that you feel comfortable in and won’t make you too hot or cold while sleeping
Eliminate noise — a fan, white noise machine or earplugs can help
Turn your bedroom into a sleep sanctuary. Create an environment conducive to sleep by making it dark and quiet
Make sure your bed is comfortable and your pillow and mattress don’t cause neck and back pain during the night

Set a bedtime and stick to it
Give yourself at least 30 screen-free minutes before bed
Avoid caffeine, sugar, chocolate and nicotine before sleeping
Avoid using alcohol as a sleep aid — it causes interrupted, less restful sleep
No large meals before bed
Focus on calming activities like reading, journaling, taking a bath or meditating before going to bed

Wake up within an hour of your “normal” weekday time
Stop caffeine use around 2 p.m.
Soak up natural light by spending time outdoors
Limit any napping during the day to 10–90 minutes before 5 p.m.
Avoid doing any work in bed — your bed should be a sanctuary of relaxation
Skip the snooze and set your alarm a little later to keep your sleep cycle uninterrupted

Pay back sleep debt gradually by avoiding morning and evening scrolling through social media feeds and let yourself sleep more.
Reset your biological clock by exposing yourself to natural light as soon as you wake up.
Avoid sleeping in until after noon on weekends — this can throw off your circadian rhythm.
Deal with daily stressors. If you find yourself worrying or thinking too much before sleeping, write your concerns down to deal with them in the morning.
Learn relaxation techniques. Meditation, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing can help sleep come more quickly.
Exercise! Aim for 30 minutes, 4 or more days a week. If you feel restless at night, you may need more movement during the day.
Avoid checking the clock. This only causes arousal and makes it more difficult to sleep.
Take a warm shower or bath. This nudges nighttime biochemistry along.
Be predictable. Go to bed and wake up around the same time every day — even on weekends.
Discuss prescription and over-the-counter options with a medical provider if you’re still struggling.

For chronic sleep problems, you may want to consult with a psychiatrist for a medication evaluation.