Students may not need as much sleep as previously thought to perform at their best in school, according to a new study.
For a study published last month in Eastern Economic Journal, researchers Eric R. Eide and Mark H. Showalter of Brigham Young University focused on a nationally representative sample of students aged 10 to 19. They compared standardized-test scores in mathematics and reading with the number of hours students said they slept each night.
While policy guidelines often recommend students receive 9.25 hours of sleep, the findings suggest the optimal amount of sleep may be much lower and depend on the student’s age. Optimal sleep amounts range from 9.0 to 9.5 hours for 10-year-olds to 7.02 to 7.35 hours at age 16.
