subject: Always Tired? Find out why sleep is crucial to memory and learning [print this page] Always Tired? Find out why sleep is crucial to memory and learning
Do you find that you are always tired? Is it starting to have an effect on your studies? Are your grades falling? Poor sleep induces fatigue and leaves us feeling tired all the time. A lack of good quality sleep can have a serious impact on your ability to function especially cognitively. This will result in poor grades. However don't panic I'm going to help you understand how you can get back on track.
Are you aiming high? Do you want a place at the best university and the best job? If so read on.
In the current economic climate it is crucial that you get the best possible grades that you can. The world is much more competitive now than it was even 3 years ago. Understanding how much sleep you need, the impact of not getting enough good quality sleep and how to achieve sufficient good quality sleep is important. Not only will it help you with your studies but you will be in a far better position than your peers. This is because so many young people are tired all the time.
Do you see how with a little knowledge you are going to gain a competitive advantage?
When studying for important you should be aiming for 8 to 9 hours of good quality sleep a night. Sleep is crucial to physical but also importantly mental health. During sleep our brain processes much of the information we have learned and absorbed during the day. If you are sleep deprived or are having trouble sleeping then your brain will dictate that you spend more time in deep sleep. Deep sleep is good but there are two other types of sleep that are more important to memory and learning.
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REM sleep (or dream sleep) helps us process information we have absorbed during the day. It is also associated with emotional balance as we play out scenarios in our dreams and formulate reactions. During REM we create strong associations between information that would otherwise be only loosely associated. REM sleep tends to be concentrated towards the latter part of the night.
The other important stage of sleep is stage 2 sleep. Stage 2 sleep occupies about 60% of our total night sleep and is a light form of sleep. However recent research has shown that stage 2 sleep in the latter part of the night is rich in spindles which also help us absorb memories and learning.
So you can see why short sleeping will not help with your studies.
