It is finals week at Northern Kentucky University. Students are studying hard to maintain their stellar GPAs. Some are busy evaluating the endless scenarios and how that might impact their final grades. What is consistent, and has been since I was in college, is sleep consistency and duration have taken a big hit this week.

As a data lover, I have been in love with my WHOOP. According to their website, “WHOOP monitors your sleep, recovery, and daily effort around the clock to deliver actionable insights on how you can optimize your performance.”

It has been great to be able to track my daily activity, sleep, and get recommendations on how to improve. What I have learned is that I am a poor sleeper. I don’t sleep long enough, I wake up too often, and therefore I am performing less than optimal the next day.

Sleep and GPA

Students across higher education are currently sharing this struggle. So what does the science say about sleep and GPA.

Better quality, longer duration, and consistent sleep are correlated with higher GPAs https://www.nature.com/articles/s41539-019-0055-z
Sleep measures account for 25% of variation in academic performance
Consistency of sleep impacts GPA more than duration. Make sure to get to bed at a consistent time https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235215461930127

How to Get Better Sleep

According to the American Academic of Sleep Medicine, their sleep education posts shares these tips to improve your sleep.

Keep a consistent sleep schedule. Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends or during vacations.
Set a bedtime that is early enough for you to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep.
Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy.
If you don’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed. Go do a quiet activity without a lot of light exposure. It is especially important to not get on electronics.
Establish a relaxing bedtime routine.
Use your bed only for sleep and sex.
Make your bedroom quiet and relaxing. Keep the room at a comfortable, cool temperature.
Limit exposure to bright light in the evenings.
Turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
Don’t eat a large meal before bedtime. If you are hungry at night, eat a light, healthy snack.
Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet.
Avoid consuming caffeine in the afternoon or evening.
Avoid consuming alcohol before bedtime.
Reduce your fluid intake before bedtime.