We paid college students about $5 a night to sleep at least 7 hours – and their grades quickly improved

Universities and colleges won’t necessarily pay students to sleep. But they can offer other incentives that encourage them to close their eyes earlier.

By: Osea Giuntella, University of Pittsburgh; Sally Sadoff, University of California, San Diego, and Silvia Saccardo, Carnegie Mellon University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: September 15, 2026

Words: 1,027

Last Updated: 1 month ago

Body Text Preview

By Osea Giuntella, University of Pittsburgh; Sally Sadoff, University of California, San Diego, and Silvia Saccardo, Carnegie Mellon University

Paying college students about US$5 a night to sleep seven hours got them a quarter more nights of adequate sleep – and better grades.

That is what we found in a study we published in July 2026.

We gave more than 1,100 undergraduates at University of Pittsburgh a Fitbit – a wearable activity tracker …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

About

FAQ

Email Us