Good night sleep is just as important as eating healthy and exercising so that your body and mind are alert and ready to function the next day. Especially for students who have a lot of work every day from attending classes to completing their assignments. The life of a student is full of activities which can at times be overwhelming making you tired and unhappy. If youdon’t sleep at least 8 hours your grades might suffer because you will be too tired which will affect your decision-making, memory, and creativity abilities. If you wantto excel in school youhave to be attentive to what you’re being taught in class. Without enough sleep, you will become moody or cranky because you can’t concentrate.
Signs that you aren’t sleeping well
Apart from the sleepiness, constant yawning, irritability, and fatigue other signs that you aren’t getting enough sleep include:
- Mood swings
- Trouble concentrating
- Difficulty waking up in the morning
- Exhaustion and lack of coordination
- High energy at night
- Increased hunger and weight gain
- Weak immune system
- Having trouble with your memory
- Increased risk of causing accidents
- Acne and other skin problems
Common causes of poor sleep in students
Energy drinks and caffeine
When caffeine gets into your system it can stay there for more than 7 hours which can make it very difficult for you to go to sleep. Children and teenagers love taking energy drinks and sodas which may also contain caffeine. Also some teas and coffee contain caffeine which is a stimulant.
Poor sleeping hygiene
Sleep hygiene refers to any behavior that will either help or prevent you from getting quality sleep. It could be the right sleeping environment, taking of alcohol, proper planning of bedtime, and other activities that can affect your sleep. Other aspects of your student life that could negatively affect your sleep include their class schedules, socializing late at night, sleeping patterns, and morning classes.
Alcohol
Most of the students who take alcohol say that it helps them fall asleep, but that only happens for a short time then they get interrupted sleep. Alcohol is a stimulant that can affect your ability to have quality sleep and it can cause sleep apnea, a sleeping disorder.
Stimulants
As a student, you’re exposed to many dangerous peer influences like taking of illegal drugs and alcohol. Many students use prescription and non-prescription drugs to help them study, be more alert in class, or study for exams. Those who take stimulants will have trouble sleeping which can increase their abuse of drugs and alcohol.
Use of technology
It’s very hard to keep your electronics away from your bedroom. But having your phone in your bedroom can reduce the quality of sleep you get, make it harder for you to fall asleep, and reduce your chances of having uninterrupted sleep throughout the night. Also using your computer and playing video games in your bed will increase your chances of sleeping during the day or being drowsy. The light from your electronic devices can reduce the production of melatonin in your body which helps you to sleep.
Pulling an all-nighter
Studying all night for your exams or using that time to complete your assignments has a negative effect on your sleep. Having an all-night study session is the wrong way to learn or improve your grades. When you study all night you don’t give your body and mind time to rest or recover. This makes it harder for you to concentrate on your exam or your brain to remember what you studied.
Why sleep is important to a student
Sharpen your attention levels
When you don’t get enough sleep your ability to focus gets impaired which means you’re not able to learn properly making it harder for you to absorb any new information. If you have too much work on your plate and you don’t get enough sleep, you will have problems processing different kinds of information and have trouble remembering any knowledge you had previously acquired. A low attention span will impair your judgment in making rational decisions and your ability to correctly assess a situation.
Improve your physical performance
Just the same way that exercising helps you stay fit and healthy, quality sleep also improves your physical performance. If you’re an athlete, sleeping for at least 10 hours every night on a comfortable and supportive loft bed reduces your fatigue levels, your body and muscles are able to recover much faster,increase your stamina, and your reaction time. You can also adjust the lighting in your bedroom to make it darker so that you can fall asleep quickly.
Improve your memory
The quality and quantity of sleep you get have a great impact on your learning and memory. When you sleep, your brain is able to process and consolidate all the information your brain has received that day. This helps to strengthen your memory and create space for new information. Sleep is also important is improving your motor skills and visual learning that you need to carry out certain activities like playing the piano or roller-skating. Sleep is also responsible for encouraging creativity and strengthening your emotional components. So, when you don’t sleep well it affects your mood and your ability to process new information.
Improve your grades
Some studies have shown that getting enough sleep and waking up early will help you achieve higher grades in your GPAs than a student who spends most of their nights sleeping. Getting sufficient sleep at night will help you perform better in school. Lack of sleep makes you lose focus in class and your attention span is limited because you’re not able to concentrate.
Final thoughts
As you can see from the points above, getting enough sleep will keep you feeling refreshed and alert. If you have trouble sleeping it’s important that you come up with a sleeping routine that will allow your body and mind to relax. This will make it easier for you to naturally fall asleep and wake up rested. Sleep helps to improve your concentration and performance in school which is very important for your grades.