“I should be studying, not asleep…” This is probably what I’m thinking as a student trying to gauge the momentary necessity of sleep versus studying. After getting involved in daily student activities, including co-curricular and socializing, the last thing I want to do is study. However, with a test coming up, I can’t risk a failure. I know how hard my parents worked to get me into that school, especially after getting the school catchment areas explained to me. It was so much sacrifice, how could I let them down?
Facing such a state is typical for students, and many times I will trade the sleep for an extra hour of study when I feel like failure is not an option. Although this is an unlikely piece of advice to students, we need our sleep to be in the right mind to pass exams. This leads us to the question of the day, how is sleep beneficial for students?
1. It Boosts Memory
My brain needs to process all the facts I collect in the day and arrange them accordingly. If I keep taking in information without enough time to process it, a lot is lost. Since this processing happens best at night, I need my sleep to ensure my memory retains important data and sets away irrelevant information.
2. For Better Grades
One of the most significant misconceptions we have is that we need to study hard through the night to get good grades. However, being a top scorer is more about studying smart than studying hard. Many pieces of research now reveal that sleep deprivation affects students significantly, even those with irregular sleep cycles.
As already explained above, good sleep boosts my memory, which leads to better grades. In any case, not everyone understands best when studying at night.
3. It Boosts My Immunity
During sleep, the body releases cytokines, a protein used to fight infections and regulate stress. Cytokine is an immune booster, and if I lack sleep chronically, I reduce its production significantly. This could expose my body to viruses and also increase my stress levels. Being in distress is a lead cause of illnesses today, which adds to the risk of infections I expose myself to.
4. It’s a Mood Booster
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Other than reducing stress, enough sleep improves my general well-being. People who barely sleep will often be highly irritable, sad, or sluggish during the day. This is no shape to study in, and not catering for it early could lead to other mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. Ever realized that sometimes we do not feel like doing anything, but after a nap, we are back to our best mood? Yes, sometimes, all we need is a sound sleep to cure a bad day.
5. Better Behavior Patterns
We need to be in our right minds to make sober decisions. If I am not well-rested, I probably feel too tired to think critically about anything. All I’m thinking about is when I get to rest. College students are not always the best in judgment, and a significant cause of this is their overwhelmed mental space.
By sleeping adequately, I ensure my mind is clear to start a new day. I can comfortably decide when to wake up, get to class and attend to other matters during the day. My mind is clear enough to make mature decisions, leading to better decision patterns.
6. Reduces the Risk of Obesity
A healthy student needs a right mind and a healthy body. Lack of enough sleep is a common cause of obesity, among other factors that expose one to other health risks. Proper sleep provides enough time for food processing at night and good metabolism to keep the body’s fats regulated.
Quality Sleep for Quality Grades
Life forces us to make sacrifices, and the more we grow into adults, the more we come across tough decisions. However, when it comes to sleep and study, learning to balance the two healthily will do students a lot of good. As I commit to improve my sleeping hours, I should also think about my sleep quality. This involves sleep latency, how deep I sleep, and how often I wake up in the middle of the night. All these counts for quality sleep, which leads to quality grades and a happier lifestyle.
Note: This is a collaborative post
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