Paying Teenagers to Sleep Boosts Grades, Study Finds

Offering college students a financial incentive for sleeping at least seven hours per night can lead to both better sleep habits and improved academic performance, according to research from the University of Pittsburgh. The study, published in the Journal of Political Economy, involved over 1,100 students with an average age of 19.

Participants in the experiment were offered a small cash reward, equivalent to approximately £3.50, for each weeknight they achieved at least seven hours of sleep. Over the course of the one-month study, students who received the bonus slept an average of 19 minutes longer each night. This increase in sleep duration was achieved by going to bed earlier, rather than sleeping in later.

The impact on academic performance was also measurable. On the American four-point GPA scale, students receiving the financial incentive saw an average improvement of about 0.08 points. Some of these positive effects persisted for several weeks even after the payments ceased, with participants continuing to sleep slightly longer.

Before the experiment, the average student slept only 6.6 hours per night, with half of them regularly staying awake past 1 a.m. Those who were offered the nightly payments met the seven-hour sleep goal on 26% more nights compared to a control group that did not receive financial incentives. The researchers noted that other interventions, such as bedtime reminders and morning feedback, had minimal impact.

Lead author Osea Giuntella stated that the study demonstrates how immediate financial rewards can help students achieve a seven-hour sleep goal, with benefits that can extend up to a month beyond the period of payment.