Sacrificing sleep for exams is counterproductive – study

Thursday 23rd August 2012

Researchers have found students that are sacrificing sleep in order to cram a little bit more are going to struggle the following day. The findings of the research conducted at the University of California have been revealed in the Journal Child Development.

In the study 535 students from 9th, 10th and 12th grade reported in a 14 day diary how long they studied, how long they slept, and whether they experienced two or more academic problems whilst being at school over the research period.

The research was expected to show that extra hours of studying that conflicted with sleep might cause problems with children's understanding of what they are being taught in class, however the results actually showed that minimising sleep in order to study for longer is associated with doing more poorly in tests and exams; the opposite of students intentions.

The results suggest that students should find new strategies to study, to make sure they do not have to give up sleep. Maintaining a study schedule is a great way for students to get ready for exams as they know exactly when they are studying and when they can take breaks. Using their time at school efficiently is also a good way to prepare for exams as this means they don't have to use all their time at home for studying and can ensure they get enough sleep.

Tags: sleep study exams

Category: Sleep Research

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