Maths students are the most likely scholars to fall asleep in the middle of lectures while those studying biology miss the most classes as a result of tiredness.
Research by Travelodge among more than 1,000 students reveals which university students are missing out on sleep and the most common explanations for too little shut-eye.
The study found students are getting far less sleep than expert's recommended eight hours, with an average of just 6.5 hours a night. It's the equivalent of losing more than one night's sleep a week. That's three months' worth of sleep during the course of a typical three-year degree.
Students at Welsh universities report the most problems sleeping (75%); however how well you sleep is closely linked to what you study.
Most sleep deprived students:
1. Tourism (average of 3.5 hours' sleep a night)
Most Tourism students said working hard at a part time job to help fund their university career was the main reason why they fail to get a good night's sleep.
2. Architecture (5 hours)
The pressure of a minimum of seven years at university is clearly taking its toll on Architecture undergraduates as they cite drugs as the main reason for too little sleep.
3. Accounting (5.09 hours)
The intensive work involved in an Accounting degree means students blame a lack of sleep on studying into the early hours, racking up their sleep debt in the process.
4. Mathematics (5.60 hours)
Maths students try to boost their finances by adding a part-time job to their day but it takes away precious hours that could be spent sleeping.
5. Biology (5.65 hours)
Biology students said watching TV into the early hours is the biggest reason they don't get a good night's sleep.
6. Psychology (5.67 hours)
Noisy, uncompromising housemates keep most Psychology students up all night.
7. Marketing (6 hours)
Marketing students said the biggest reason why they fail to get a good night's sleep is worry about life after university.
8. Geography (6.33 hours)
Like Biology students, Geography academics blame watching TV all night for too little sleep.
9. Politics (6.45 hours)
Politics undergraduates are the only students in the top ten to blame not enough sleep on drinking and partying.
10. History (6.5 hours)
Although many people find listening to music an excellent way to unwind, History students say it's the main reason why they fail to get their recommended eight hours.
Over half of all students (54%) admitted missing lectures on the basis of being too tired to go and 16% admitting falling asleep in at least one lecture in the last summer term.
Computer science and IT students are the worst for staying up through the night with eight per cent regularly going to bed at 5am.
Irrespective of degree course, students cite drinking and partying as the number one reason why they miss out on sleep at university although more than one in ten blame trying to squeeze a part-time job around studying.
Students overall reasons for missing sleep:
1. Drinking (17%)
2. Watching TV/DVDs (12%)
3. Worrying about the future (11%)
4. Parttime job (11%)
5. Surfing the net (10%)
6. All night parties (7%)
7. Noisy student neighbours (6%)
8. Studying (5%)
9. Playing computer games (4%)
10. Drugs (3%)
Travelodge's Director of Sleep, Wayne Munnelly, said, "Our study contradicts the perception that students sleep all the time. In reality, they are getting far too little sleep and worryingly, it seems the preferred way of coping is to fall back on stimulants like coffee or caffeine drinks. That strategy can play havoc with both health and course performance. Sleep is essential to feeling alert, thinking clearly and boosting memory. Unfortunately, it's all too often pushed to the bottom of the list by students trying to cram too much into every day.
"Most university students are living away from home for the first time in their lives but they need to maintain the regime they lived by before. Set a regular time for bed as often as possible and plan afternoon naps in advance of parties that will push on till the early hours."
Almost a third of students voted Sunday as the night they get the least amount of sleep and Thursday is the best night to catch up on forty winks.
-Ends-
*Travelodge research conducted by 72 point in August 2006 among over 1000 UK university students.
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Statistics
Universities with students reporting the most problems sleeping:
1. Wales (75%)
2. Heart of England (66%)
3. Scotland (63%)
4. North West (58%)
5. South (51%)
6. London (50%)
7. South West (50%)
8. South East (45%)
9. North East (42%)
10. Midlands (39%)