Irregular sleep leads to bad grades — here are 5 things you need to keep a consistent schedule at college

A young female college student with shoulder length brown hair looks at her laptop while sitting on her dorm bed.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Heading to college to begin your new life there can feel like your first proper taste of adulthood. You're free to go out when you want and stay up as late as you like, but there's a major downside to this: you also need to get to classes and turn in your assignments. Welcome to the world of adulting.

College might feel like party time, but according to a new study, keeping irregular hours can have a serious impact on your grades. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule at college may help you perform better come test-time, particularly because sleeping well can improve your memory.

Even if your bed is lacking one of the best mattresses, our tips for sleeping better at college can get you on track with a more consistent bedtime routine, and our number one piece of advice is to invest in some affordable sleep accessories. So below, we've rounded up five of the best.

Irregular sleep results in bad grades

A recent study in the US showed a link between irregular sleep and late bedtimes with worse grades (as well as an increase in school-related behavioral problems) in late teens.

In the study, nearly 800 adolescents provided information on grades and were equipped for a week with wrist-worn accelerometers to track their sleep patterns.

The bottom line? The students who had variable bedtimes were more likely to get a D-grade or below compared to the students who had consistent bedtimes. And, those who went to bed later, got up later or slept for different amounts of time every night got fewer A-grades.

Another research paper noted that 50% of college students report daytime sleepiness and 70% don't get enough sleep.

This report also highlighted that daytime sleepiness and sleep deprivation can result in "lower grade point averages, increased risk of academic failure, compromised learning, impaired mood, and increased risk of motor vehicle accidents."

Dorm room with bed and storage — (Image credit: Getty Images)

To make life easier for you as you prepare to head back to school, we've picked out five of the best sleep accessories to help you maintain a healthy sleep schedule.

Got a bit more budget? Maybe you could upgrade your dorm bed with one of the best mattresses for college students.

5 sleep accessories that will help you keep a consistent schedule at school

1. Alpine Silence Earplugs: was $24.95 now from $17.95 at Amazon
College dorms aren't exactly renowned for being peaceful sleep havens, and things can be worse if you're sharing with a noisy roommate. Fortunately a simple pair of earplugs can be all you need to shut down nighttime disturbances. These thermoplastic rubber earplugs will stay in place all night long, block out up to 22dB of noise, and they come with XS, S, M and L ear tips, so there'll be a perfect fit for you. In most colors, they're currently reduced by 20% to $19.95 (was $24.95), but if you get them in black the discount is 28%, meaning you'll only pay $17.95.

2. Umisleep Pure Mulberry Silk Sleep Mask: was $19.99 now $14.99 at Amazon
Another drawback to sharing a dorm room can be your roomie having the light on when you're trying to catch some ZZZs. Avoid arguments by investing in a comfortable, light-blocking sleep mask. This 100% pure mulberry silk sleep mask from Umisleep features a nose pad to ensure that no light gets in, and its breathable silk is super smooth so it won't rub against your skin, meaning less chance of dryness or irritation. There's 25% off the black and pink options at Amazon right now, which means they'll cost you just $14.99 (was $19.99).

3. Fitbit Inspire 3: was $99.95 now $79.95 at Amazon
A good sleep tracker can help you keep tabs on how well you're sleeping, but most options are well beyond the average student budget. There is a decent affordable option, though: the Fitbit Inspire 3 is a quality sleep and fitness tracker at a budget price point, and it'll gauge your sleep duration accurately without the need to subscribe to Fitbit Premium (you'll need a subscription if you want more in-depth reporting). You can find the black colorway for $79.95 at Amazon right now, including a 6 month FitBit Premium subscription free trial. But if that's too expensive, consider installing one of the best sleep tracking apps on your phone instead.

JALL Wake-Up Light Sunrise Alarm Clock: was $54.44 now $29.95 at Amazon
One of the best sunrise alarm clocks can rouse you gently with a combination of light and sound, and this option will do it at a low price. The JALL Wake-Up Light Sunrise Alarm Clock has a simulation sunrise where the brightness of its light rises from 10% to 100% before the alarm noise rings. Other features include 17 colored lights, 25 sleep sounds to help you to drift off, and dual alarms. It even works as a Bluetooth speaker. It's currently available in white from Amazon for a mere $29.95 (was $54.44), which is an incredible price considering what's on offer.

Bon Charge blue light blocking clip light: was $29.99 now $22.49 at Bon Charge
We know, we've been there. There are times at college when there's no choice but to stay up late and study; if you're smart about it, though, you can at least minimize the impact of late nights on your sleep. This clip light from Bon Charge uses red light, enabling you to read comfortably without compromising melatonin production, which can happen with white light. So you can read in bed but be ready to sleep once you've finished. There's 25% off at Bon Charge, reducing the price of this clip light to just $22.49 (was $29.99).

Jim is a freelance writer and performer based in Bath, UK, whose work can be found on sites including TechRadar, Tom's Guide, T3, PetsRadar and Creative Bloq. Jim started out over a quarter of a century ago, covering technology and video games, and they've been expanding their repertoire ever since. On any given week Jim's likely to be writing about design, sleep, wellness and even cats, and has learned an awful lot about the mattress industry over the past few years.

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