{
  "id": 7553075,
  "title": "We paid college students about $5 a night to sleep at least 7 hours – and their grades quickly improved",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/we-paid-college-students-about-5-a-night-to-sleep-at-least-7-hours",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-15T12:37:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Conversation",
    "slug": "the-conversation",
    "url": "https://theconversation.com/we-paid-college-students-about-5-a-night-to-sleep-at-least-7-hours-and-their-grades-quickly-improved-289935"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent study published in July 2026 revealed that paying college students $5 per night for seven hours of sleep led to a quarter increase in nights of adequate sleep and improved academic performance. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh gave over 1,100 undergraduates wearable activity trackers and an app that sent bedtime reminders and morning feedback. They randomly selected 468 students and paid them for meeting the seven-hour sleep goal over four weeks. The study involved primarily 19-year-old students, with half of them being first-year students. Roughly 72% of them were women, 55% were white, 28% were Asian, 9% were Black, and 4% were Hispanic.\n\nThe study found that offering a financial reward helped students achieve the recommended seven hours of sleep and that these effects could persist for up to a month beyond when the students were paid. Students who received the monetary incentive slept 26% more nights with seven hours of sleep than those who did not receive the money. This resulted in an additional 19 minutes of sleep per school night, which is equivalent to completing assignments at 11:40 p.m. instead of midnight. Additionally, the students' GPA increased by about 0.08 points during the semester, which is roughly a quarter of the gap between students with above-average and below-average high school grades.\n\nThe effects of the intervention on sleep and GPA were most significant among first-term freshmen, whose routines are not yet established. The study suggests that universities should consider implementing sleep-promoting environments, such as late evening deadlines and early classes, which can hinder students from getting enough sleep. Sleep loss has been linked to various health issues, and irregular sleep patterns can negatively impact decision-making. This study highlights the importance of addressing sleep as part of a university's investment in student education.",
  "summary": "Universities and colleges won’t necessarily pay students to sleep. But they can offer other incentives that encourage them to close their eyes earlier.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}