Pulling an all-nighter might be the most common way students deal with exams. Last minute cram sessions do some kind of magic that lets one grasp as much information as possible in the few minutes to spare. Suddenly the brain is all fuzzed up about how the exams are important and start taking things seriously.
But after all these high spirited studies in the previous night, how often do you find yourself unable to recall the points you know that you mugged up the previous night. That there is one of the worse aftermaths of skipping sleep.
Still wondering why sleep is such a big deal during exams? Let’s get started.
What Happens during Sleep
Sleep happens in many stages; each phase has a specific purpose. The first stage reduces brain activity; the second stage is while the sleep deepens. It is in the third and fourth stages that the restorations happen. The immune system falls into place, and the body begins to repair itself. It would usually take a couple of hours to reach the later stages.
The brain gets its rejuvenation during the REM cycle that happens in the last stage. It is when the brain goes through everything you did that day and stores the necessary information. So without proper sleep, students won’t get enough time of REM sleep. This means that the brain hasn’t memorized all the things you learned that day.
Sleep is Necessary for Memory
There is no need to stress son how memory is of utmost importance for students, especially during exams. Sleep is essential to remember things that you spend time learning during the day. Learning something and recalling it later is connected by a night of sleep, much better than the same time one spends awake. Without the separation of sleeping, how much ever the effort you put in the previous day or night, it still wouldn’t come handy when you need it the most.
So try scheduling the study tie properly to squeeze in some time for sleep. Students can use external services to allocate some urgent submissions if necessary. It is easy to hire essay writer from this company who can complete any writing task for you in any close deadline. Using such services could be a boon when you realize that there is no much time left to study for exams.
Sleep is Necessary for Awareness
It is not news that sleep deprivation could cause damage on several levels. Right from the cognition skills to attention and decision making, almost all essential human functions are directly related to sleep.
Multitasking could be the most affected aspect of this. Any activity that requires attention in any levels, including driving will have substantial impacts due to lack of sleep.
In exam halls, imagine when suddenly your brain stops its cognitive functions like working memory and attention. If you were wondering why you are unable to focus even in pin drop silence, now you know the reason.
Sleep is Necessary for Creativity
Not all exams are about repeating what is embedded in memory. At times, one has to play the creative cards to think of an answer or solve a problem. Sleep deprivation can strip away creativity to a large extent.
With less sleep, certain types of thinking seem to get more strained. Divergent thinking that makes you think out of the box is one such option. It can restrict your imagination. Convergent thinking that enables one to choose the right answer might have a stronger hold without sleep. But combine that with all the other aftereffects of sleep deprivation, it would still not be a strong point during exams.
Sleep promotes creativity, in finding the crooked ways a problem appears, locating answers in the most unobvious places and even in making the paper more presentable.
Sleep is Necessary for Mental Health
Students today are already drowned with many issues. Depression, loneliness, and anxiety have become everyday struggles. Without proper sleep, these issues will only be more elevated. It would be the worse times to have panic attacks or forget all the answer because of over anxiety.
According to studies, people who get less than six hours of sleep per night are more prone to depression. This could also be the case of getting sleep more than 8 hours, but in exam season, that is highly impossible. But even compared to the latter case, insomnia is one of the leading causes of depression. It lets all cranky thoughts get into the head which you will be taking over to the next day and even to the exam hall.
Sleep in Necessary for Physical Health
Though the body can survive the lack of sleep more efficiently than the brain, it could still heighten any existing issues in physical health. It could alter the blood pressure levels, heart rate and levels of thyroid and cortisol hormone also called the stress control hormone.
Even without going to such extents, we all have experienced headaches without getting proper sleep. The effects could be much worse for students who are already having any health problems.
How to Get More Sleep
We understand it is not as simple as asking students to sleep during exams. However, taking into account all the research showing its necessary and the strict schedules students have to follow, here are a few approaches you could consider.
♦ Try to go to bed early. You will still be able to sleep a little and wake up in the morning to make up for the time. This pattern enhances the senses and the mind to focus more to retrieve information
♦ Limit the use of electronic devices. The harsh light would only make sleeping more difficult.
♦ Try to eat healthy for the brain by including food like eggs, fruits, and nuts, to help the brain absorb and store information better.
A good night’ sleep is vital for the body to be able to perform the next day efficiently. It would seem to elude, especially if there is stress involved. But instead of looking at it as a luxury, consider it a necessity to be able to pass the exams and devote a little time to it.
Shift Frequency © 2019 – Educational material
Lily Anderson – Many of us are guilty of sacrificing sleep in the pursuit of productivity and success. However, recent research has shed light on the dire consequences of sleep deprivation, suggesting that it not only leaves us feeling fatigued but can also wreak havoc on our brains. What’s even more alarming is that chronic sleep loss may increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
The state of your mental health should be a priority as it influences your relationship with others, your career success, and your physical health to name just a few areas.