Sleep Incentive Study Shows Grade Gains for US College Students

A field experiment involving more than 1,100 university students across the United States demonstrated that modest monetary incentives for achieving seven hours of sleep led to higher academic grades. The research, published in the Journal of Political Economy, was conducted by Osea Giuntella (University of Pittsburgh), Silvia Saccardo (Carnegie Mellon University) and Sally Sadoff (University of California‑San Diego). Participants wore Fitbits and used a custom smartphone app that sent bedtime reminders, provided real‑time feedback and delivered cash rewards of about $4.75 per night when the sleep target was met.

At baseline, students averaged 6.6 hours of sleep per night, with only 43% meeting the recommended minimum. The incentive‑driven intervention improved sleep duration and was associated with better grades, as well as positive effects on mental‑health measures and cognitive tests of creativity and problem‑solving. "This was one of the most comprehensive behavioral field experiments ever conducted on sleep," said Giuntella.