Sleeping Well: Why Sleep Is a Study Strategy

Welcome to America, the sleep-deprived, gluttonous, and idle community. Ok, all jokes aside, really how important is sleep to being able to study effectively? In this article, we go in depth on sleep: why we sleep, and what are the hard-driven facts we've learned through scientific studies. Buckle up, and enjoy the ride. Or maybe we should say, cuddle up to the fireplace, and enjoy this good read before a nice long nap. Whatever the case, we hope this article makes you enjoy your “zzz's” just a little more.

From the dawn of time, man has had to sleep. Our ancient ancestors had to sleep, even in the midst of fighting over each other for food and resources. If they had to sleep during times when survival was such a high priority, it must be important. “The average sleep length is between 7 and 8.5 h per day” (Neuropsychiatr). Michigan State University set out to determine the full effects of missing sleep in one of the largest studies on sleep deprivation. “Our research showed that sleep deprivation doubles the odds of making placekeeping errors and triples the number of lapses in attention, which is startling,” Fenn said.

“Sleep-deprived individuals need to exercise caution in absolutely everything that they do, and simply can't trust that they won't make costly errors. Some sleep-deprived people might be able to hold it together under routine tasks, like a doctor taking a patient's vitals. But our results suggest that completing an activity that requires following multiple steps, such as a doctor completing a medical procedure, is much riskier under conditions of sleep deprivation” (Michigan).

As we know, studying takes intense focus. This focus requires all of our attention. “Beyond attentional focus at any particular moment, sleep loss impairs the capacity to sustain attention over time” (Nat). Through a good night's sleep, studying can be greatly improved. It has been shown that our brains can function while not having sleep, but only while doing tasks that we are well familiar with. Introducing your brain to something new that it is not familiar with takes more energy from your brain. This ability is greatly impaired without a good night's sleep.

In conclusion, get good sleep if you want to study well. You will be able to concentrate and retain information much better. There are many negative effects on your ability to do these things if too much sleep is missed. So next time you are studying before that class, remember to study early so you don't need to stay up late studying, and ensure you have enough time to sleep.