Everyone says that once you are in college you can say goodbye to sleep, which of course no one believes at first. It isn’t till your head is bobbing up and down at two a.m. because your Red Bull has worn off in the process of studying for an exam that is worth half your grade in a certain class that you believe their words of wisdom. This can be a common scenario of a typical college student at any given night, and it is usually one that is repeated multiple times in the semester. In some cases it can be a daily occurrence in a student’s life. While most think that burning the midnight oil will come help them ace that tricky devil of an exam, it can actually make it even harder to pass, regardless how many hours you stared at the words on the page.
Sleep deprivation, which is the general lack of necessary sleep the body needs to function properly, can to more harm than making someone cranky the whole day. It takes eight full hours of sleep for the human body to get enough rest work right. Not getting a full night sleep every night can mount up quickly. According to Apollohealth.com , if a person sleeps on average of four hours a night, which happens occasionally in the life of an on the go college student, the brain reacts as if the person had not sleep in three consecutive nights.
According to WebMd.com , sleep deprivation can lead to the inability to concentrate, short term memory loss and difficulty speaking. These symptoms are dangerous for anyone, but even more harmful to college students. Since college students must read endless pages a week, and be able to retain it for intensive examinations, their memory is basically their prized possession. Without an efficient, sharp memory, everything learned in class and reading would be pointless.
According to research from the National Academy of Sciences, studies showed that that when sleep deprived, a person may not be seeing the correct thing in front of them. This can lead to the wrong materials retained, which leads to poor test scores. All nighters may seem like the only possible way to complete all the work that is necessary, which at times can be very overwhelming and stressful. Stress alone can make it harder to take a test because of the pressure to perform well, and added with lack of sleep can make the chances of a satisfactory performance slim.
Most students think that if they do not feel tired, then their not. This is a myth, because if caffeine can be used to ease the sleepiness symptom of sleep deprivation. So energy drinks such as Red Bull and Rock star, along with the original all nighter drink, coffee, will only prevent you from passing out but not in remembering the material.
So, is it possible to get enough sleep, juggle academics, extra-curricular activities, work and a social life without having a clone? There are ways to achieve enough rest and boost test scores. Taking short naps, also known as the beloved power naps, lasting from a half hour to an hour can reenergize the brain so it can process information easier and more efficiently. Time management is also a key tactic in avoiding sleep deprivation. By allotting certain time frames for each subject a night can make studying easier, because it is done a bit each night in a relaxed atmosphere. This method of studying is less stressful than staring at endless pages of notes with bulging eyes the night before the test, almost ready to pull hair out. Yes, it is hard changing a repeated cycle of late night studying, but it can be beneficial to your personality, academics and body.
With two weeks till midterms begin, which is March third by the way, do not let lack of sleep hinder you from achieving your maximum potential. Instead of reaching for the Red Bull, reach for the light switch and give your brain a break, your GPA will thank you.
