![]() ![]() During the quick sleep part of the cycle, we progress through four every increasingly deep stages of sleep. Our brains and bodies go through a number of cycles while we are asleep called the circadian rhythm.Ībout every 90 minutes, an average person will cycle through what is called quick sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. It won’t matter if you acquired some knowledge during your all-nighter if you don’t give the brain a chance to consolidate that memory. Three things have to happen for a memory to be formed: it has to be acquired, then consolidated in the brain through sleep and then the ability to recall it when required created. And it impacts our ability to learn effectively. ![]() Lack of sleep impacts the brain in a couple of ways: it allows the brain to process what it learned that day and affix it in our memories. It won’t be worth it if you can’t recall that information you knew at 2 a.m. Since you need your memory to recall the answers to questions on that exam or details about that work presentation, missing even one night’s sleep could have the opposite effect than what you wanted. The irony is that going without sleep can also impact your memory. Lack of sleep also impacts our reaction time and can be dangerous if you have to drive to get to that exam or to work. There’s no point in knowing the information well if you then can’t concentrate enough to function. While you might get through that all-nighter seemingly unscathed, having trouble concentrating once you sit down to write that exam or give that work presentation is a good argument against staying up all night. Pulling an all-nighter every once in a while is not likely to have a long-term impact on health, but it’s definitely not something to get into a habit of doing. Research out of Harvard has found that sleep deprivation may “raise risk for, and even directly contribute to, the development of some psychiatric disorders.” These include bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression. The brain uses our sleep time to do some pretty important things. We also need sleep to give our brains time to work. People who get less sleep than recommended tend to gain weight as well. Sleep helps to heal and repair our heart and blood vessels, and continually not getting enough sleep is linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Sleeping is important not only to our physical health but also our mental health. Those same experts concluded it’s bad for our health to forego sleep. You’ve activated those parts of your brain that work hard while you’re asleep and then interrupted them in their work. There is a downside – you might wake up from a nap of one hour to 90 minutes duration could leave you more tired than you went in. So pulling an all-nighter might have the opposite effect of what you anticipated. Even as little as one-hour of sleep can help the average person. A study out of the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School concluded sleeping helps us to process, store and retain what we’ve learned. Research has shown that humans need at least some sleep to be able to concentrate and perform daily tasks. This will give your brain time to consolidate all you’ve just dumped into it, leading, hopefully, to greater success on that exam or presentation. Perhaps a better tactic would be to schedule in a quick nap right after you’re finished studying but before the exam. Is it a risk you’re confident taking? That’s up to you. But since memory can be impacted by a lack of sleep, this might not play out to be true for you. Since you’ve just spent the last eight or so hours reviewing the material, it might be easier to remember than if you studied it days ago. Taking too much B12 can Information is freshly reviewed But do your research and talk to your doctor before taking these supplements to ensure you don’t have a negative allergic reaction and that they don’t interfere with other medications you might be taking. Ginseng or B12 supplements, which can give you an energy boost, are available over the counter. This isn’t the time to stress.Īnd while you might be tempted to down gallons of coffee or other caffeinated drinks to help stay awake, too much will just make you jittery, and you may experience a bit of a “caffeine crash” just as the start of your exam or presentation is scheduled to begin. Some experts also recommend listening to Baroque classical music as the tempo most closely imitates a typical resting heat beat and will keep you calm. Once you have a plan, using a highlighter pen as you read may help you retain what’s going into your brain. ![]()
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