When you’re in College, it can feel like there are hardly enough hours in the day to get everything done. You need to study enough to pass exams, but you also want to hang out with friends and work on your other classwork and extracurriculars, too. One thing that’s becoming increasingly popular among college students is late-night studying.
Is Late-Night Studying Bad for You?
If you are wondering how bad is it to study at night, consider below more insight:
The Brain Can Only Function for So Long
The brain only has so much energy to give and needs time to regenerate. Research suggests the brain can only maintain high levels of performance for up to three hours but then needs a break to recharge. As a result of prolonged brainwork, you start to experience declines in cognitive ability.
It will take time for your body to replenish glucose, as that’s what the brain primarily runs on. If you work late at night, you will have a very diminished level of energy at your disposal which will make it difficult to maintain focus on the work at hand and retain attention to detail.
What Happens When We Don’t Sleep?
When we don’t sleep, our bodies enter a state called acute sleep deprivation. In this state, the brain releases a surge of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These stress hormones can disrupt the immune system and impair cognitive function.
The lack of sleep can also cause changes in mood or behavior like irritability, emotional outbursts, impulsiveness, and restlessness. These changes affect not only the person who is sleeping but those around them as well.
How to Limit the Damage from Late-Night Study Sessions
There are a few ways to limit the damage of late-night study sessions so they don’t become too much of a habit. First, try setting your alarm on your phone to remind you that it’s time to stop studying and go to bed.
Next, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water before and during the session. Finally, change up your routine by reading from a different book or taking a different break activity like making coffee or tea.
Should I Stop Studying This Class if It Gets Too Hard?
Studying late at night is a great way to procrastinate and catch up on missed assignments, but it’s not without its drawbacks. Here are some of the things that you might experience as a result of studying late:
- Lack of sleep. Your body’s natural rhythms make it hard to get quality sleep when your day is flipped upside down with early mornings and late nights.
- Disrupted circadian rhythms can lead to an increased risk of cancer, diabetes, depression, heart disease, and obesity.
- Increased stress levels due to the feeling of never being able to finish all the work you need to do in one day.
My Problem Isn’t Procrastination, It’s That I Work Well Under Pressure
I’m not a procrastinator, I swear! I’m just good at getting things done when I feel pressure. If you want to get something done, sometimes it’s best to say I need it by yesterday. With that said, working late at night can be bad for you.
For starters, your sleep schedule will suffer if you don’t get enough rest during the day. This means that your body’s internal clock will be all out of whack and leave you feeling tired throughout the day. It also means that it’ll take longer to recover from illness or injuries because your immune system is weakened from lack of sleep and your body is healing slower than normal.
How Do I Figure Out Whether I Can Study in School Rather Than at Home?
As people grow older, they may find that they need more sleep and their energy levels are lower. If you are considering whether or not to study in your home or at school, there are a few factors you should consider.
First, how much time do you have available to study each day? Depending on the workload required of you, it might be difficult to complete your coursework if you have an hour or two of free time during the day. Likewise, if you have a lot of free time each day, it may be better to study at home so that you can take breaks and avoid staying up late into the night.
Secondly, what kind of environment is best for your learning style? Some people prefer studying with a group while others work better alone in a quiet place.
Am I Stressed Because My Problem Isn’t Actually That Big of a Deal?
Student stress is more likely to cause illnesses and fatigue, so take care of yourself and notice the signs of stress. When you hide your busy schedule, it could indicate that you have high-stress levels.
Stress may lead to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Stress is associated with depression, loneliness, and suicidal thoughts in college students more likely than students with lower levels of stress.
Conclusion
Some people argue that it’s not a good idea to study late at night because it throws off your circadian rhythm and can cause sleep deprivation. However, there are those who argue that this is actually a good thing because you have a chance to catch up on missed schoolwork and get ahead of your classmates.
While some believe it depends on which time you go to bed, if you take study breaks, and which subjects are challenging, other folks disagree. With both sides to this debate coming with their own merits and drawbacks, it’s tough to know for certain if late-night studying has a positive or negative impact on one’s health. All that being said, the amount of effort you put into adjusting is really dependent on how well you know yourself.