By Rafael Moraes Gaino
9 November 2026
Have you ever been to class after only having four or five hours of sleep? If you have, you know how hard it is to focus and follow along with the lecture. This is what some college students go through, especially when they have so many things to do, such as studying for exams, finals, papers, sports, and other academic work. Oftentimes, many college students think that they can do more work if they sacrifice sleep, but in reality, they actually get less work done.
There are many reasons to sleep a full night, but the most important is that our brain uses all the time that we’re sleeping to sort our thoughts and information we’ve learnt during the day. Getting enough rest helps us to not only memorize things. We can also focus more and do better on tests. For example, staying up all night before an exam may not always be the best thing – getting a solid rest could be better than studying for that extra few hours.
Sleep is very critical for student athletes, too. Try to imagine how hard it is to compete in the soccer game or have basketball practice, or even go and have a workout, when you are exhausted. When we don’t get enough sleep, we lack the energy, have delayed responses, and our decision-making abilities suffer. Recovery is essential to build endurance and prevent injuries, and sleep is equally critical as training and nutrition.
A further issue faced by many college students involves the use of their phones prior to bed. We may promise ourselves that we will only watch one more video, but then all of a sudden an hour goes by and then another hour. Video games, social media, and other entertainment can wreak
havoc on any eating and sleeping schedule. A simple fix is to put your phone away and try to sleep and wake at similar times daily.
Sure, college life may not always go according to plan. At times we have to stay late to complete our assignments or studies or have other commitments that hinder our sleep. Nonetheless, we should be making sleep more of a priority and less of an option.
So, don’t feel bad about sleeping a little longer. It’s actually beneficial for you. It allows us to learn more, be healthier, have more energy, and be successful both at sports and in our general lives. Of course we want to have a high GPA and have a great time here at college, but sometimes the best decision we can make is a good night’s sleep.