A recent study has found that engineering courses have some of the most sleep-deprived students

POSTED ON Nov 08, 2023

According to sleep experts at Bed Kingdom, a recent study has revealed the university courses with the most sleep-deprived students.

The study analyzed eleven areas, including timetabled hours, hours spent on assignments, independent study hours, work placement hours, student satisfaction, student anxiety, and paid employment hours.

Other areas included the percentage who withdrew due to mental health, difficulty of study level, balancing study and other commitments, and the amount of work.

Based on these factors, a sleep deprivation score was created for each subject area, with 100 being the maximum score.

The subject areas were then ranked according to their sleep deprivation score, with the highest score being the most sleep-deprived.

Architecture, building, and planning courses ranked first, scoring 55.23.

These students work for 64.19 hours a week on average when considering paid employment and time spent on university work. These courses have the most independent study hours, with an average of 19 per week.

Ranking second are subjects allied to medicine, which include pharmacology, therapies, and nutrition, among others.

This subject area scores 53.26, with students having the highest amount of work placement hours, spending 24 hours per week at their placements.

Physical sciences rank third with a score of 52.91.

These courses can include subjects like chemistry, geology, and earth sciences. Students on these courses work on average 63.51 hours per week and have 17 hours of timetabled lessons each week.

Veterinary sciences are close behind, scoring 52.58.

Students studying veterinary science have the highest number of timetabled lessons, with 21 hours per week on average. As a result, students work in paid employment for only nine hours per week on these courses.

Mathematical sciences rank fifth with 52.26.

For these students, work is split evenly between timetabled hours and independent study, averaging 15 hours per week. Students also have the highest number of assignments, spending an average of 10 hours completing them.

In sixth place are medicine and dentistry courses with a score of 52.21. These students work on average 66.26 hours per week, with 20 hours being used for timetabled lessons and 14 being used for work placements.

Computing courses rank seventh with a score of 51.44. Computing students spend an average of 13 hours per week in paid employment; this is in addition to 11 hours of work placement per week.

With a score of 48.82, engineering and technology courses rank eighth. A total of 62.14 hours per week is spent working, with only 7 hours on assignments and 16 hours in timetabled lessons.

Creative arts and design courses rank ninth with 48.65. Students in these courses spend most of their time in independent study due to the less theoretical nature of the subject areas. An average of 16 hours per week is spent on independent research.

In tenth place are general sciences with a score of 48.28. These courses build on secondary-level education with a chance to specialize in a scientific area.

The second-lowest overall in hours worked, with only 55.97 per week, these students also have the least hours spent in work placements, with an average of 7 hours.

The list includes general studies with 45.98, humanities and liberal arts with 45.43, biological and sport sciences with 45.08, agriculture, food, and related studies with 44.27, and education and teaching with 43.05.

Ashley Hainsworth, CEO of Bed Kingdom, commented on the findings, saying, “The study shows that students are concerned with how many hours they spend working. Across timetabled hours, independent study, work placements, and paid employment, students work more than the 40 hours a regular job demands.

“There are 168 hours a week, and the average adult over eighteen should get no less than 49 hours of sleep each week. Extra-curricular activities, the workload expected, and work so bills can be paid are all eating into valuable rest time for students. With such little time left to sleep, it’s essential to consider comfortable, supportive bedding and creating the right atmosphere for a restful sleep. Reducing time on devices and the amount of caffeine consumed can help with this.”

The study was conducted based on the HEPI & Advance HE 2023 Student Academic Experience Survey.

The methodology involved analyzing eleven areas, covering hours worked, satisfaction, and reasons for leaving if applicable.

An index was created, giving each subject area a score out of 100, with the highest weighting being given to hours worked. The subjects were then ranked from most sleep-deprived to least.