Studies have repeatedly demonstrated the power of sleep to enhance memory retention and recall. Indeed, the better students sleep the higher their test scores will be.
Sleep is essential to student life and Norman Regional’s primary care providers are here to help! Here are just a few reasons why.
1. It recharges your brain
Every student knows that getting enough restful sleep before taking exams or making presentations is crucial, yet often falls to the back burner due to schoolwork, social activities, and other commitments. While balancing schoolwork with social life may make getting enough rest more challenging for some students than expected each night may be hard, failing to meet this recommendation could negatively affect both academic performance and mental wellbeing.
Studies demonstrate that students who receive adequate sleep perform better in class, are better at staying focused for extended periods, and remember more of what they have learned. It is believed that this improvement in performance could be attributable to how lack of sleep causes our brains to process and retain information incorrectly, pushing memory storage away as it processes through.
One reason why it’s essential for students to get adequate rest is because it helps them better manage stress and mood disorders that are so prevalent among young adults, particularly college students. Studies have linked lack of sleep with depression, anxiety and mood swings which in turn negatively impact learning and concentration abilities – not to mention leaving you more susceptible to illness!
2. It helps you focus
Most students understand the wisdom behind getting enough rest before an important test or exam. While occasional late nights won’t have major impacts on performance, frequent sleep deprivation does have lasting implications for academic success and must be treated seriously.
Sleep-deprived students find it challenging to pay attention in class and recall what they have learned. This becomes especially problematic during tests when full concentration and awareness are essential to success. Researchers have even discovered that just one night of sleep deprivation significantly decreases learning capabilities for a student.
Poor sleep can make it more challenging for students to focus on and retain information, while also making problem solving harder. Therefore, prioritizing restful sleep – even during summer school breaks – can improve academic skills and raise GPAs significantly.
Sleep is essential to many aspects of health and wellbeing, including lowering risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, maintaining a healthy weight, regulating hormones and decreasing risk for type 2 diabetes. A good night’s rest also protects against infections and illnesses by producing more infection-fighting antibodies when awake than when asleep – meaning students who get enough rest are less likely to contract the flu or other illnesses which could force them out of class and study sessions.
3. It prevents memory loss
Lack of sleep makes it harder to remember things, which is particularly relevant for students who must balance homework assignments, school events and extracurricular activities like sports or clubs with part-time jobs and socializing with friends – not to mention homework! Without adequate restful restful rest is almost certain to impair memory retention.
Studies conducted by Carnegie Mellon University and University of Notre Dame researchers have shown that students who regularly miss sleep are more likely to have a lower end-of-term GPA. Each hour lost is associated with a 0.07 point drop in GPA at the end of an academic term, according to this research.
Researchers assert that lack of sleep negatively impacts student grades by inhibiting them from processing information and storing it into memory. Furthermore, REM sleep (the dream-like state of sleeping) is essential for procedural learning – that is remembering each step involved in performing a task such as playing piano or driving a car.
Researchers suggest that getting enough sleep may also lower students’ risks of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease later on in life. While it’s impossible to eliminate all factors preventing students from sleeping soundly at night – such as late school start times or too much screen time before bed – students should make their health sleep habits a top priority and seek medical assistance if necessary from primary care providers.
4. It keeps you healthy
Sleep provides many health advantages: it balances hormones, strengthens the immune system, maintains consistent blood sugar levels and lowers stress. Furthermore, sufficient restorative sleep keeps heart health intact, prevents weight gain, controls inflammation and helps form and store memories – all key elements to student success.
Balancing classes, homework and social life can be stressful for most students. To remain effective at all aspects of their lives, they may cut out on sleep in an effort to meet all deadlines; additionally, those who suffer from sleep disorders have an increased risk of poor academic performance.
Sleep deprivation can lead to confusion, irritability, tension and depression – symptoms which erode a student’s ability to think, focus and learn effectively and eventually destroy his or her chances of graduation.
Sleep remains one of the most essential activities you can do for both your mind and body, regardless of its difficulties or interruptions. If you’re having trouble sleeping, speak to your primary care provider – Norman Regional’s primary care providers are more than capable of diagnosing sleep disorders as well as helping establish positive sleeping habits that will enhance overall quality of life and bring success both in school and beyond. Sleep is key to success both academically and in everyday life!
