Anushka Reddy Week 11: The Power of Sleep on Students




    All animals and people need to sleep; it's a basic human function. In my AP Psychology class, we already finished the unit that covers sleep but we recently revisited the subject, which piqued my curiosity even more. It was fascinating to hear more about the benefits of sleep as a high school student who usually doesn't get much sleep because of academics. It served as a helpful reminder to prioritize sleep more and learn more about the negative effects of sleep deprivation on students.

    Sleep deprivation slows down our attention span, ability to retain information, and memory consolidation. Most students tend to stay up to finish extra studying, in hopes that would better their grade on the test the next day in class. However, their performance will actually decline since their brain will be exhausted and cannot perform daily activities as well. NREM and REM sleep are responsible for building and retaining memories, so a lack of sleep can cause you to actually forget a little of what you studied the night before. 

    Sleep deprivation also negatively affects our motor skills. Most students are also athletes who struggle to balance their academic and athletic life. Lack of sleep affects our muscles by reducing our strength and slower reaction time. It causes changes in metabolism and endocrine functions which can cause a decline in your gross motor skills. You can start doing poorly in your athletics due to chronic sleep deprivation.

    Chronic sleep deprivation can also lead to a decrease in students' mental health. Individuals are at a high risk of developing depression and other mental disorders. Lack of sleep can cause more risk-taking behaviors in students and mood regulations as it disrupts the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain. This is why many people tend to get cranky after a bad night's sleep. The heightened emotional reactivity not only affects students' well-being but also interpersonal relationships in school which can result in conflict and challenges. 

   As a student, it can be hard to get a proper night of rest due to school and other various factors. However, it is crucial we understand the profound impacts of sleep—sleep affects us much more than we think. We must establish healthy sleep habits for optimal performance in our daily lives and activities as students. 


How Lack of Sleep Impacts Cognitive Performance and Focus

Adult Gross Motor Learning and Sleep: Is There a Mutual Benefit?

How Sleep Deprivation Impacts Mental Health




Comments

  1. Alfiya JoharFebruary 20, 2024 at 12:42 PM

    Hi Anushka,

    Sleep is definitely very important, especially for growing children. And I agree that there can be a sense of irony in trying to stay up late to study for a test as not only will a lack of sleep lead us to forget some of that the next day, but too little sleep can leave us groggy and unfocused during the test as well, further worsening that test score.

    I think in the aspect of sacrificing sleep for studying or anything else, it is important to weigh the pros and cons and truly understand what you are sacrificing. For example, sacrificing sleep for a test may seem worth it if you know none of the topic. However, if you know most of it and just want to stay up practicing, this may not be worth it. Additionally, if your class is later in the day, like after FLEX, it can be useful to prioritize the sleep and schedule in studying for the test into FLEX. If you think those extra few hours of studying are truly worth it, just know it could mean being in a bad mood the next day, unable to efficiently carry out other activities, and possibly still not doing that well on that test. If it no longer seems worth it, then it might be a better option to get even a few hours of sleep and maybe wake up a few hours early and continue then. Otherwise, maybe grab a cup of coffee or tea and get ready for the long night (and day) ahead.

    It is also important to recognize patterns. If we notice ourselves regularly in the situation of having to decide between sleep and school, it might be time to rethink our organization of time and activities. Long-term, sleep should not be continually sacrificed. If this is a once in a while thing, it can be ok, however, long term is when it can start to affect our mental health and relationships, as you said.

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  2. JaydenFebruary 21, 2024 at 5:48 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. JaydenFebruary 21, 2024 at 5:49 PM

    You talking about sleep's effect on students is quite timely considering the fact that this could be my busiest week this entire year, with POAS, American Dream essay, summer programs, and other things as well. Research showing that sleep deprivation impairs cognitive functions such as attention span, memory retention, and the ability to process information really shows the counter-productiveness of sacrificing sleep to stay up extra late and study. It highlights the paradox that many students might face: the belief that staying up late to study for an exam might be helpful, when in fact, it could actually be detrimental to their performance due to the brain's reduced efficiency after not getting a good night of sleep. This has happened to me on multiple occasions, where I sometimes sleep later to study and then forget a lot of the test material the next day. Honestly, the connection between sleep and mental health is a topic that should be discussed more often. The increased risk of depression, mood disorders, and other risks among sleep-deprived students is quite clear. In an educational culture that often glorifies busyness and working overtime, learning about the impact of rest and its impact on learning and overall performance of an individual is extremely important.

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