Cifei He, Author at GirlSpring

Articles, Health, Lifestyle, Mental Health, School

Sleep and Academics

January 31, 2025

Sleep is an essential aspect of our lives. It affects our physical and mental health, and as students sleep less, it significantly impacts our academic performance as it plays a key role in helping students consolidate and strengthen memories, as well as preventing memory decay. Without sleep, people work harder but don’t do as well. The panel of the National Sleep Foundation suggests sleep durations for various age groups and agrees that the appropriate sleep duration for young adults and adults would be 7–9 hours, and for older adults would be 7–8 hours. Without getting enough sleep, our brain cannot process information as efficiently as it ⁠ would if it had the necessary rest. It’ll be tough to focus, think, and memorize information.

5 Ways to Overcome Sleep Deprivation

- Avoid distractions. Phones and laptops are big distractions that make ⁠ it challenging to concentrate on studying. Without keeping it away, it may even prompt you to reach for it when you wake up in the middle of the night.
- Exercise before bed. Exercise can help you fall asleep faster and improve your sleep quality. Working out makes your body tired, which can help you fall asleep quicker and remain asleep throughout the night.
- “Snooze Letter”. According to the National Institutes of Health(NIH), an educational campaign focused on sleep hygiene featured a “Go to Bed” poster, a two-page “Snooze Letter,” and sleep-related content in the school newspaper. As a result, 9% of students showed improvements in their sleep patterns, including an earlier bedtime, shorter sleep latency, longer sleep duration, and better sleep quality, as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.
- Avoid Caffeine. Stop drinking caffeine in the afternoon and at night. It remains in your system for hours and eventually makes it hard for you to fall asleep.
- Avoid drinking too much water before bedtime. Instead, drink less water before going to sleep to prevent waking up at midnight and having trouble falling back asleep again.

Sleepiness and irregular sleep schedules have many unintended consequences such as affecting students’ academic performance and daytime functioning. Getting enough sleep is essential for focusing on tasks, active learning, maintaining emotional well-being, and being creative. As a student, it’s crucial to prioritize sleep by setting a regular sleep schedule and avoiding distractions like electronics. By prioritizing sleep, you can ensure that you’re in the best state of mind to succeed academically in school.