Most
students are guilty of this practice as it is not uncommon to hear
phrases like “I wan go do all night” or “I wan do TDB (Till Day Break)”
and so on during examination periods. Ironically, health specialists
posit that loss of sleep during these night sessions could be
counter-productive.
In a report published in ScienceDaily on November 21, a
medical director at Harris Health Sleep Disorders Centre, Houston,
Texas, Dr. Philip Alapat, says any student who does all night reading
may be undoing himself.
Instead, he recommends that students should study throughout the
semester, set up study sessions in the evening – the optimal time of
alertness and concentration – and get at least eight hours of sleep the
night before exams.
He adds that memory recall and ability to maintain concentration are better improved when an individual is rested.
“By preparing early and being able to better recall what you have
studied, your ability to perform well in exams is increased,” he says.
According to the study, Alapat, who is also an assistant professor at
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, and his staff carried out about
1,200 sleep studies a year to evaluate patients for a variety of sleep
disorders, including apnea, insomnia, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy
and chronic fatigue syndrome.
He posits that college-aged students should ideally get eight to nine
hours of sleep a night but the truth he says, is that most students
generally get much less.
He says, “Any prolonged sleep deprivation will affect your mood,
energy level and ability to focus, concentrate and learn – which
directly affects your academic performance. Throw in the occasional
all-nighter, consumption of caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea or
energy drinks, and students are at risk for developing insomnia, as well
as increased risks for alcohol abuse and motor vehicle accidents.
“A lot of college students graduate from high school and leave the
protective family environment where they have curfews or set bed times.
In college, they don’t have these guidelines for sleep and recognise
that they can stay up late. This likely contributes to the sleep
deprivation seen commonly in college students.”
Among Alapat’s recommendations are: get eight to nine hours of sleep
nightly – especially before final exams; try to study during periods of
optimal brain function – usually around 6-8 pm; avoid studying in early
afternoons, which is usually the time of least alertness and do not
overuse caffeinated drinks – caffeine remains in one’s system for six to
eight hours.
He adds that people should recognise that chronic sleep deprivation
may contribute to development of long-term diseases like diabetes, high
blood pressure and heart disease.
“If suffering from bouts of chronic sleep deprivation or nightly
insomnia lasts for more than a few weeks, try consulting a sleep
specialist,” he says.
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