0L here:

I know around exam time, it becomes a struggle to get enough sleep in preparing for exams. What about during the semester though? The reason I ask is that I am kind of a slow reader, and I get run-down and can't function if I don't get 8 hours and run at least thirty minutes/day. I also took a year off between UG and LS to work, so I haven't really studied anything so to speak in about a year. Assuming I don't go out or do anything else besides study at the beginning, will it be a struggle to get 8 hours and stay on top of my readings? Thanks.

I know it sounds cliche, but just treat it like you did your day job and you will be fine (except when memos, etc. roll around). You will likely only have 3-4 hours of class on a given day, and maybe an hour or two of random meetings, leaving 3-4 hours in a normal 8 hour work day for you to read/outline/etc. You will be fine.

You will probably be fine during the semester.

Taking some rest is really important specially in your study. If you don't get enough rest your health will be at risk and that will be a problem. About your problem of being a slow reader you just do more reading and see some technique how you can improve your reading ability.

I never had trouble going to bed at a normal time, I went to bed a bit later during exams but not much, not enough to sleep -deprive me. I don't do all nighters. Just...no. My grades were fine.

I go to school full time, have a family, and did some side consulting work throughout the semester and exams. Never had an issue with too little sleep, and my grades are comfortably top 5-10%.

As long as you schedule your time, you'll be fine.

The only people who claim you need to deprive yourself of sleep are drama queens who don't know how to manage their time at all. Even during finals. In my experience, there's never any need to put in more than 12 hours a day or so during finals, and if you have to do even that it's because you've been putting things off.

This. Just stay up to date when the preparation throughout the semester. I always got 7.5 - 8 hours a night and always got at least 30 + mins in the gym everday.

If you can't get at least 8 hours of sleep a night and run for 30 mins, you are doing law school wrong regardless of how slow you read.

I get 7-10/hrs a night, depending on the night. More during finals, less during the semester if I have a morning class.

It depends on whether stress gets to you. I always had enough time to get to bed at a decent hour. I never could sleep though. For the past month, I've gotten an average 6-7 hours per night. I'm pretty exhausted. I also can't drink caffeine.

It matters what your class schedule is like. I had 8:30 Classes two days a week and my sleep suffered on those days. I was able to get most my work done before 10 pm, but i started at about 8 most days and worked on reading 10-7 on weekends.

I do really well in school. I usually get 8 hours, almost always at least 7. I do no work on saturday-at all. I have pulled exactly 3 all nighters in 4 semesters (one when LRW was due, one when law review competition was due, one when draft of article was due).

No, sleep should not be an issue especially since you exercise every day.

Well that's good for me, because I am waaay too dumb to make law review.

I've never studied past 8:30 p.m. during any part of the semester. Wake up early, work hard during the day, and go to bed in time to get the rest you need. If you're having to stay up into the early morning hours doing work -- even for finals and memo season -- this is a sign that you didn't plan well enough. If you have the same work ethic in the first week as you do in the last, it won't be a problem.