How many hours a student should sleep?

How many hours of sleep is required by students who study competitive exams? Let’s know it in this article.

Sleep for students

Yes, we all know sleep is very important for everyone. For best health having enough sleep is a life necessity. Science study says that minimum 8 hours of sleep is needed for a better function of human body. Many people swear by this timing. They make sure that they get 8 hours of sleep anyhow. But this is for people in general. 

Do you think sleeping for 8 hours is needed for students also? Won’t this reduce their time for study? Let’s find it out in this article.

Why is sleep needed?

Sleep gives immense benefits to the human body. All systems of body are affected by sleep. Let’s know how sleep help us!

• Repair and growth: when you sleep, cells of the body goes through rejuvenation. That’s why newborns sleep most time of the day. Someone with sleep deprivation would lack this, and hence the body will not be very efficient because new cells don’t form in needed quantity.

• Relax: It is obvious that our body gets relaxation during sleep hours. It is least energy depreciating time when the body sleeps. Without enough sleep, the relaxation doesn’t happen and the body gets worn off easily.

• Body clock: Body has different clock and schedule for life supporting activities like hunger, sleep etc. For maintaining the healthy body, one should always take care of body clock and circadian rhythm. Sleeping on time and having same sleep hours help maintain this clock well. 

• Improves memory:  This is the most interesting part for students. It is proven that your memory improves as you sleep. That’s why teachers suggest you a good sleep before tests. 

There are many many more benefits of sleep. If I start writing about all of them this space won’t be enough and you might get bored and sleep, lol. But knowing all these important effects of health, one should always take care of their sleep.

According to the requirements of body, the time duration of sleep needed can differ. Someone who is having lot of physical work would require 8 hours of sleep. Whereas someone with sedatory lifestyle can do well with less sleep. 

Age also play a role with length of sleep required. For example a toddler would need sleep of 10 to 12 hours but an old man needs only 5 to 6 hours of sleep.  

DEMO TIME TABLE FOR NEET PREPARATION 

For how many hours a student should sleep?

Here we want to focus on student life. The teenagers require a good 8 to 9 hours of sleep because they are highly physically active and their body is growing at faster level too. So a normal school going student can take 8 to 9 hours long sleep.

But students preparing for competitive exams should be placed in different category. Because these students are pursuing a different goal. Their time is very precious and they can’t afford to lose a single minute of their time. If they take 8 to 9 hours long sleep, they would lose a good chunk of time of their study. A smartly managed sleep is what these type of people need.

Students should take sleep of minimum 6 hours a day. We are talking about undisturbed and deep sleep here. One should always keep in mind that sleep is something that should be taken seriously. Because sleep directly affects health and without a healthy body no one can do good in exams. 

Best sleep schedule for students 

Students preparing for competitive exams take their time seriously. Their goals are very high and to reach there great hard work is needed. Sleeping an hour extra seem like luxury for them. So let’s help you making best sleep timetable.

• Sleep according to your body clock. Take notes of time when you feel drowsy naturally. If you are a morning person, you will feel sleepy at 10. So make your schedule accordingly.  If your attention span increases at night, then you should be studying in those hours.

• While making a study schedule, keep sleep in mind. Spare at least 6 hours of sleep at a stretch. And schedule your sleep cycle in a way that you can follow it for long time. Because that will help your body to produce sleep hormones at that time only, and you won’t feel sleepy throughout the day. 

A pro tip: before going to sleep, do a quick revision of what you have studied in a day. This will help you boost memory of those chapters. 

• Studies have proven that quick naps in between study sessions work wonders. This improves concentration as well as memory. A nap of 20 minutes between two study sessions will give you relaxation and boost of memory.

Please keep in mind that your health is more important than the examination you are preparing for. Don’t try to cut timing of sleep for studying more. This will give you health problems. And without a healthy body you will not be able to give your best to any kind of exam. 

But also to the students who tend to sleep more, please consider that this time of preparation will not come back. We know it is difficult for you, but you can always train your brain for what you want. So make a schedule and give your best.

We hope you liked this article and it didn’t make you sleepy *wink*. Do share it with your fellow students and relatives. We appreciate your response on our articles. You are welcome to share feedback in the comment section below. 

Thank you for reading!

Stay happy! Stay healthy! Stay motivated!

Urvi Bhanushali

Manish Mevada