As we enter into finals season, the stress of exams and making sure you end with a good grade in all your classes might appear overwhelming. Neglecting proper sleeping and eating habits might seem like a small price to pay for a rewarding grade at the end of the year. From all-night cram sessions, to rushed morning breakfasts finals week creates major disruptions from a student’s regular routine. However, these sacrifices may not pay out in the long run due to the negative side effects the lack of proper sleep and nutrition can have on students.
A lack of sleep the night or nights leading up to your exam can negatively impact your performance on the day of the test. According to the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, “Students who experienced even moderate amounts of anxiety [have] lower test scores. Rather than having separate effects on exam performance, over the course of two days and nights, poor sleep quality predicted increased anxiety, which in turn perpetuated disrupted sleep, which then predicted further increases in anxiety and ultimately poor academic performance.” The weekend leading into and each night of panic-filled studying needs to end at a reasonable hour to ensure proper sleep length and quality. The upward trend in knowledge can be diminished by a task so simple to accomplish like getting a good night’s rest. The reason why a full night’s rest is important to academic performance is related to REM cycles. According to the Sleep Foundation, “When you cut your sleep time short, you cut your REM sleep short. REM sleep is the stage of sleep in which we do the most dreaming, and our brains process new information and commit it to memory. REM sleep is critical for our cognitive performance.” This is why proper sleep is one important aspect of finals week.
Another important aspect of finals performance is proper nutrition. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, students with higher grades are more likely to eat breakfast every day of the week and eat vegetables one or more times a day. Making sure to grab a quick nutritious meal before heading into your finals can make sure you have the fuel to perform well.
Overall the most important thing, besides studying, during finals week is to take care of yourself. Be sure to take care of your body so that your mind can handle the stress and demands of finals week. Good luck and happy studying!
