HU: Healthy University – Sleep On It

As a busy college student, sleep is extremely important to maintain your health. But now, new research shows that sleep can also be good for your grades.  A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience says that as we sleep, our brain chooses what is most important to remember in the future and stores it.  This means those cram sessions you do before your big test might be more beneficial if you actually sleep on it.
 

Of course, getting back to the health and well-being of college students everywhere, sleep is one of the most important aspects of your life and many students get much less than the recommended amount.  Young adults, specifically women, should try to get at least six and a half hours of sleep each night to maintain good health and alertness through out the day. 
 
Six and a half hours of sleep should be a reachable goal for all of you college women, especially if you have a big test or presentation the following day.  Many young women have the notion that “pulling an all-nighter” is the best technique to nailing their tests.

“I usually study the entire night before, but I start early so I try to get enough sleep. If I don’t get enough sleep, I always feel like I’m in a fog while I’m trying to take the test,” says Cara Mattson, a sophomore at the University.

Not only will lack of sleep cause you to be in a fog while taking a test, it will also deter you from remembering the knowledge you worked so hard to remember the night before. Countless students make Axinn Library not only their study place, but also where they spend their nights NOT sleeping, especially during midterm and finals week. 
 

“I usually always study last minute and cram the night before,” says Brittney Towner, a freshman at the University.

The study shows that most of the information we take in during the day is forgotten over night, but the stuff that our brain knows we will have to use right away is selected foremost for storage.  The people involved in the experiment were all told the same information, but only half were told they would need to remember it when they woke up.  The people who knew that they would need to remember the information beforehand all performed well on the test, while those who didn’t forgot the information over night. 
 
If your usual study sessions do not include sleep, a change of plans might be necessary.  Sleeping more before tests will require better time management and more studying before night falls, but it is a realistic goal.  Try studying between classes a little at a time, instead of cramming it all in one night.  Push yourself to start studying at least a week ahead of the test, and the night before the big day, review all the information before bed, then let your sleep do the rest!
 
Sleep is important in every part of your life, especially for college women who are always on the go and have something to do at all times.  In order to get more sleep, especially before an important test (and in college, aren’t they all?) plan ahead and pencil in some sleep for your health AND your grade!

HU: Healthy University is a new series by HerCampus writer Meghan McCloskey, which centers around Hofstra fitness.