Finals week often brings sleepless nights and exhaustion for many college students, as some may sacrifice sleep in favor of late-night studying – a habit that can come with significant health consequences.

During sleep, the body and brain perform critical functions essential for maintaining overall health. Researchers and health professionals at UCLA said that, for students who want to perform well on their finals, they must prioritize rest.

“There’s overwhelming evidence that … if you’re not sleeping well, you’re not healthy,” Christopher Colwell, a psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences professor said.

The recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult is 7 to 9 hours, according to the National Institutes of Health. However, a University of Georgia study found that most college students average only 6 to 6.9 hours of sleep per night.

According to research by Healthline, students who continuously get less sleep than the recommended amount may experience lowered moods, difficulties with memory and learning and increased levels of stress.

Dr. Mary Woo, a UCLA nursing professor and former night-shift cardiac critical care nurse, said these symptoms arise because insufficient sleep interferes with the brain’s ability to regulate emotions and retain memories – particularly in the hippocampus and amygdala. Damage to these regions, Woo said, has been consistently linked to memory and concentration issues, as well as symptoms of depression.

During sleep, the brain performs an active process of memory organization, Colwell said. He added that during this process, the brain sifts through daily information, consolidating some and discarding others.

“There’s a lot of good evidence that memories are being sorted. Some things are being forgotten, some things are being learned – sort of stored in long-term form – while sleep is occurring,” Colwell said.

According to the University of Iowa, the organization and consolidation of memories during sleep is especially crucial for students who are studying. When students get good quality rest, their brain shows improved focus, faster information processing and a greater ability to retain information.

Another important function of sleep is its ability to conserve energy, Jerry Siegel, UCLA’s chief neurobiology research professor, said. A 2025 Harvard Health study found that sleep plays a vital role in energy production, as the deeper stages of sleep generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy molecule used by the body.

“If you don’t have a reason to be awake, you should be asleep,” Siegel said. “When you’re awake, you’re burning more energy than when you’re asleep.”

Despite the biological importance of sleep, many college students struggle to get a good night’s rest. Research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2022 found that at least 60% of college-aged students experience poor sleep quality.

In an effort to fall asleep, some students turn to substances such as alcohol or cannabis. Research from the National Center for Biotechnology Information found that one in five college students use such substances to help them sleep.

Woo, however, said these substances only provide the illusion of deep sleep without any of the restorative aspects of a good night’s rest. Instead, she said natural remedies, such as taking a hot shower or bath roughly 30 minutes before bedtime is an effective remedy to improve sleep.

For other students trying to stay awake and power through assignments, they may turn to caffeine. A 2018 report by the NIH found that 92% of college-aged students across the country consumed caffeine within the past year, with 79% using it specifically to stay awake.

Darren Banayad, a first-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student, said he regularly drinks two cups of coffee a day.

“Personally, it’s just something that’s become routine,” Banayad said. “It’s something that I can rely on, and if I don’t have it, then I know my body will want to fall asleep.”

Experts at WebMD said an over-reliance on caffeine can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as tiredness, headaches, mood swings and difficulty concentrating.

In addition to consuming large amounts of caffeine, Banayad said he frequently pulls all-nighters, staying up entirely without sleep when he prepares for his tests.

Adarsh Saranathan, a first-year statistics and data science student, said that although it can be challenging at times, he has maintained a sleep schedule of 7 to 8 hours each night.

“I really care about efficiency when I’m studying,” Saranathan said. “It’s better I go to sleep, wake up at some point, and then just keep studying.”

Instead of pushing through exhaustion, Saranathan said he established a pre-sleep routine of avoiding screens, drinking tea and meditating to improve his quality of rest.

Colwell said when it comes time for exam season, students should prioritize rest over cramming, both for their health and academic performance.

“It’s better to get the sleep, and you’ll do better on the exam,” Colwell said.