How Much Sleep Do You Get a Night in Law School?

[Cicero]

I was sitting here sleepy from several nights in a row of less sleep than I would like, and it seems like everyone I talk to is in the same boat, so I was just curious. (And I haven't seen a poll in awhile.)

[marcus-aurelius]

I am not yet in law school but am curious as to everyone's answer.  If I don't get at least six hours for several nights, my mental acuity wanes

[Morten Lund]

If I don't get at least six hours for several nights, my mental acuity wanes

Most studies show the real number is closer to eight.  I would stress very stressfully the importance of maintaining sleep and other proper living habits while in law school.  Under almost any circumstance, when you sleep five hours instead of seven to study, those two hours would have done you a whole lot more good in bed than at the desk.  Eat three squares, exercise, and sleep. 

... because here's the thing:  life doesn't get any easier after law school.  You've got another 40 years of 50-80-hour weeks ahead of you.  If you set poor living habits in school, those habits are likely to stay with you.  Sure, maybe you can get by on Cheetos, Mountain Dew, and five hours of sleep for 3 years - but can you do it for 40?

Teach yourself good habits. Now.


I know, I know - you wanted a survey answer and got a rant instead.  Sorry.

[Liz Lemon]

I answered AND I will join in on the fun.  I completely agree, it's extremely important to maintain some semblance of healthy living habits while in law school.  Life is always stressful.  I try very hard to give myself at least 7-8 hours a night, though I admit that number ends up being a little lower.  I function so much better when I have a proper night's sleep and I think everyone else does too.  In my opinion, law school success relies heavily on time management, and not just spending every waking moment studying.

And having said that, I will now go back to managing my time properly and doing my schoolwork.  I should heed my own advice more often

[Sheshe]

I thought I would let you guys know that I just skewed the results a little, because I wanted to view them.  I'm still in undergrad, and I answered that I get 5-6 hrs., which is true but still irrelevant. Sorry!   

[jack24]

The demands of law school become less and less consistent over time.  I had a pretty regular schedule during 1L fall, but after that it became more sporadic.  Sometimes I average 4 hours of sleep a night over the course of a week.  Some months I get 6 or 7+ almost every night.   I probably average 5 hours of a sleep during the two weeks leading up to finals, and I try to sleep 7 or 8 hours a night before my actual tests.

[Thane Messinger]

The demands of law school become less and less consistent over time.  I had a pretty regular schedule during 1L fall, but after that it became more sporadic.  Sometimes I average 4 hours of sleep a night over the course of a week.  Some months I get 6 or 7+ almost every night.   I probably average 5 hours of a sleep during the two weeks leading up to finals, and I try to sleep 7 or 8 hours a night before my actual tests.

You're not alone (both in law school and after), yet Morten and Sheshe's notes deserve even more stressing.  (Is that possible?)  Not only is it good to set good habits, but THE most important aspect in law school, mental acuity, is deeply affected by poor sleep habits.  We seem to be a sleep-deprived society, and proud of it.  We can certainly pull the all-nighter when the situation (and client) demand it, but when one night becomes a series, even an hour less than needed builds up to a fog very much like intoxication.  (No kidding.  Sleep deprivation has been shown to have effects very much like drunkenness . . . without the fun of getting there.) 

Would you believe that some need more than 8 hours?  And would you believe that some of those who need 9 or 10 might be the ones--after they wake up--to ace the exams?  (They might not be headed for biglaw jobs, granted.  Far better to teach night school.)

As much as it cuts against the operational grain, sleep is more important than study.  And study is pretty important.*

Thane.

*  "Study" does not mean "a lot of study."  It doesn't even really mean "study" in the sense that that's used in college and before.  These are two rather common and rather falsely comforting traps for law students.

[Justice13]

I actually get at least 7 hours per night.  I find if I get less than that it's counter productive.  If I don't get a good night's sleep, I work slower and in the end get less done.