A recent study reveals that students pursuing Subjects Allied to Medicine, such as nursing, nutrition, and occupational therapy, are the most sleep-deprived in UK universities, facing intense workloads that severely limit rest. Conducted by sleep experts at eachnight, the study draws on the 2024 HEPI Student Academic Experience Survey, which surveyed 10,319 full-time UK undergraduates to assess factors impacting sleep. Each course received a sleep deprivation score out of 100, with higher scores indicating greater sleep loss, based on metrics like timetabled hours, independent study, work placements, paid employment, assignment loads, anxiety levels, and withdrawal considerations.
Top 5 sleep-deprived courses
- Subjects allied to medicine (52.2/100): Students spend 55.14 hours weekly on university-related activities, including 19.86 hours on off-campus placements, plus 9.54 hours in paid work, totalling 64.68 hours. Nearly a quarter (24%) considered withdrawing, with 25% citing poor mental health.
- Mathematical sciences (51.5/100): Students log 37.02 hours weekly at university and 5.24 hours in paid work. They face 10.5 graded assignments and 11.67 non-graded ones per term, with 23% considering dropping out, 37% due to mental health.
- Medicine and dentistry (45.1/100): With 41.65 hours weekly at university, including 19.57 timetabled hours and 9.3 placement hours, plus 9.11 hours in paid work, students manage 10.82 graded assignments per term. About 22% considered withdrawing.
- Agriculture, food, and related studies (44.0/100): Students spend 39.15 hours weekly at university and 9.69 hours in paid work. A striking 37% considered dropping out, with 24% citing mental health concerns.
- General and others in sciences (42.3/100): Including biology, physics, and chemistry, students spend 35.19 hours at university and just 1.3 hours in paid work but face 10.15 graded and 11.3 non-graded assignments per term, with 29% considering withdrawal.
Courses with better rest
Geographical and Environmental Studies ranks as the least sleep-deprived course, scoring 19.9/100. Students spend 28.26 hours weekly at university and 6.4 hours in paid work, with a modest 7.33 graded assignments per term. Law, surprisingly, is third-least sleep-deprived at 24.3/100, with 32.2 hours at university, 7.72 hours in paid work, and 4.59 graded assignments per term. Only 21% considered withdrawing, with 28% noting mental health struggles.
Mental health and workload pressures
The study highlights a link between heavy workloads and mental health challenges. Humanities and Liberal Arts students, despite a lower sleep deprivation score of 37.0/100, report the highest anxiety levels, with 24% selecting the maximum anxiety score. They spend 35.03 hours weekly at university and 12.76 hours in paid work. Dr Jordan Burns, a certified sleep coach at eachnight, said: “Scientific studies have always been thought of as time-consuming, mentally demanding, and assignment-heavy, so it’s no surprise that students studying these subjects are more likely to have to sacrifice sleep to keep up. These areas also carry high expectations which can increase students’ stress levels, which is likely to continue into their post-university careers.”
Balancing sleep and study
Dr Burns adds: “Evidently, students are concerned with the number of hours they spend at university and at work, which in turn has an impact on their emotional and mental health. Across timetabled hours, independent study, work placements and paid employment, many students are putting in way more than the 40 hours a regular job demands. With 168 hours in a week, university students should be getting around seven to nine hours of sleep per night, or ideally 56 hours a week. For students studying Subjects Allied to Medicine, their schedule plus this sleep goal leaves just 47 hours a week to spend socialising, relaxing, or keeping up with household tasks.” He recommends avoiding caffeine six hours before bedtime, reducing screen time, and investing in supportive bedding to improve sleep quality.
