Hey there! Today, we’re going to explore an often overlooked aspect of our lives that has a big impact on our academic performance. Yes, you guessed it – we’re talking about sleep. As teens, juggling schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and a buzzing social life often means sleep takes the back seat. But is that really a good idea? Let’s take a look at what sleep does for us, and at our top tips for getting a good night’s sleep.
The Science of Sleep
Before we delve into the impact of sleep deprivation on academic performance, let’s understand the science of sleep. Sleep isn’t just a period of inactivity or downtime. It’s an active and critical process during which your body and brain are hard at work on repairs, growth, and consolidation of memories.
The recommended sleep duration for teenagers is between 8 to 10 hours per night. However, many of us find ourselves falling short of this range, resulting in sleep deprivation. But how does this lack of sleep affect our learning capabilities?
How Sleep Influences Learning
Sleep plays a vital role in both learning and memory. Have you ever pulled an all-nighter studying for a test only to find yourself struggling to remember the information the next day? That’s because your brain uses the quiet hours of sleep to consolidate the information you’ve learned during the day.
There are two main types of memory – declarative (facts and events) and procedural (skills and habits). Both these memory types are strengthened during sleep, making it a crucial component of effective learning.
The Impact of Sleep Deprivation
1. Reduced Cognitive Functioning
Sleep deprivation can significantly affect your cognitive functioning. This means it can impact your ability to think, learn, concentrate, and make decisions. It can also lead to mood swings and a lack of motivation, making it harder to engage with academic tasks.
2. Impaired Memory
As mentioned earlier, sleep is a key player in memory consolidation. Lack of adequate sleep can interfere with this process, leading to memory issues. You may find it harder to remember facts, figures, and even skills you’ve learned.
3. Lower Grades
Multiple studies have shown a clear correlation between sleep deprivation and lower academic performance. This doesn’t just apply to major sleep deprivation like pulling all-nighters. Even consistently getting an hour less sleep than recommended can have a negative impact on your grades.
4. Mental Health Issues
Chronic sleep deprivation can also contribute to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. It’s a vicious cycle – stress and anxiety can lead to sleep issues, and lack of sleep can exacerbate mental health problems. While this can impact academic performance, that’s not the important part here. Your health, including your happiness, is more important than your grades. Work on your sleep for you.
Our Top Tips to Improve Sleep
Tbh, you’ve probably heard this all before – but the important bit is how do you actually get more sleep? Here are our top tips:
- Maintain a regular sleep schedule: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This can help your body’s internal clock know what’s up and make it easier to fall asleep and wake up.
- Create a restful environment: Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool. Consider using earplugs, a sleep mask, or a white noise video if needed. Personally, I like listening to ‘Don’t Cry’ by Guns ‘n’ Roses to chill me out before sleep!
- Limit exposure to screens before bedtime: I know we all like a scroll before bed, but try leaving some time between your final evening scroll and heading to bed. The light emitted by phones, tablets, computers, and TVs can interfere with your body’s production of melatonin, which is a hormone that regulates sleep.
- Stay active: Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper sleep. This can be playing football, having a solo dance party in your bedroom, or even swapping your evening scroll for an evening stroll… (see what we did there? 😉 )
- Avoid the hype: Try to limit your sugar and caffeine intake throughout the day. I know that packet of sweets is tempting, but is it worth the tiredness tomorrow morning?
- Avoid hyper brain: Focus on one thing to avoid your brain going on random tangents. For example, check in with your body: tense your shoulders for 3 seconds, then relax. Then tense your upper arms, then relax. Then clench your fists and tense your forearms, relax. Work all the way down to pointing your toes. This both helps your body relax, and takes your brain away from running wild.
Remember, your health, including your sleep health, is just as important as your grades. So next time you’re tempted to pull an all-nighter, remember the potential impact on your mental health, and on your academic performance, and instead, aim for a good night’s sleep.
