With the proximity of the National High School Exam (Enem), many students began to study more at night. However, students should not trade hours of sleep for their studies, warns the doctor at the Sleep Institute, pediatrician Gustavo Moreira. The strategy is wrong and can compromise the student’s cognitive performance the next day.
Restriction, even partial, of sleep has a negative impact on working memory and strategic thinking skills, which are cognitive functions associated with the frontal lobe. “During sleep, the brain decides what to consolidate in the memory of what was learned the day before. Therefore, sleep deprivation can worsen cognitive performance”, highlights the doctor.
According to the Sleep Institute, US researchers compared, in a survey conducted in 2015, the academic performance and sleep patterns of 364 students at Auburn University. They found that, on the eve of exams, more than 80% of students used to sleep less than 7 hours. The study, however, found that longer sleep duration the night before exams was related to higher course grades.
The institute also highlights that Mexican researchers carried out a study, published in 2021 in the journal Sleep Science, and observed that, after sleep deprivation, students showed reduced alertness, sustained and selective attention and even impairment in their executive functions.
To achieve better performance in studies, doctor Gustavo Moreira advises students to always keep the same sleeping, waking and eating times. Cell phones and computers should be avoided at night, as well as stimulants such as coffee, teas, chocolate or energy drinks. The specialist also recommends that students expose themselves, during the day, to the sun and nature during their rest breaks. At night, light should be used sparingly.
