Continuous Lack of Sleep is Equated to Operating While Drunk
It may seem like a great idea to pull all nighters in the
last few weeks before exams, but there are studies that have shown that
continuous lack of sleep is the same as being drunk. As you continue to prepare
for finals, ensure that you are getting enough sleep. By making a study plan
and sticking to it, you can build in time for sleep. Don’t underestimate the
power of sleep.
It is
inevitable to think that you will be awake the night before an exam because you
are nervous and feel unprepared. Make that the only sleepless night that you
have during finals week(s). Get to bed on a regular schedule in between exams,
that way your lack of sleep is not a pattern.
As a general
rule, people cannot “bank” sleep, i.e. you cannot sleep the weekend before
exams in preparation for a week of sleepless nights. But, you can catch up on
sleep afterwards. So, if you spend the night or nights before your final LRW
memo awake writing, you can
use Thanksgiving weekend to catch up on the sleep that you missed for those
nights. Don’t sleep the whole weekend away though, because you can’t bank those
hours for the weeks that are coming.
People that
are chronically sleep deprived function less cognitively and more methodically.
Therefore, unless you have studied for finals thoroughly ahead of time and can
do legal analysis with your eyes closed, depriving yourself of sleep because
you are cramming for an exam is not going to be a benefit. If you have pulled
multiple all-nighters during exams, you are probably chronically sleep deprived
and are not going to be able to logically formulate your answers for essay
exams.
More
fundamentally, cramming all night is just a bad idea. Take time ahead of
reading week to make sure that you are well-prepared for finals. Make sure that
you are getting a good amount of sleep, at least one full REM cycle, before
each exam. Good Luck!
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