How Does Sleep Impact Learning and Mental Health?
Writer:
The importance of sleep
Sure, we all know sleep is essential. But many of us — especially in college — still don’t get the rest we need in order to operate at our best.
Staying up late every once in a while is not a huge problem.
But making a habit of it can mess with your overall health.
REM (rapid eye movement) sleep — the deepest stage of the sleep cycle — stimulates the brain regions used in learning. The more REM sleep you get, the more your brain is equipped to learn.
Studies show that REM sleep affects the learning of certain skills and has a notable impact on recall.
Lack of sleep also makes you feel lethargic, which impacts motivation, effort, and attention.
Essentially, when deep sleep is disrupted, it wreaks havoc on your brain and impairs your ability to think clearly and remember things.
Sleep and mental health
Not only is sleep important, but it is also linked with your mental health.
Once upon a time, sleep problems were thought of as symptoms of mental health conditions —but they may contribute to or even be a cause of them.
This also means that getting a healthy amount of sleep may help alleviate the symptoms associated with a mental health condition, and vice versa.
If you consistently feel drowsy during the day or doze off, then you may have severe sleep deprivation or even a sleep disorder.
Other signs of a sleep deficit include: habitually using caffeine to get through the day, not waking up refreshed, drowsiness while driving or during mundane activities like watching TV, memory problems, or difficulty falling or staying asleep.
Dos and Don’ts:
Getting the rest your body and brain needs isn’t complicated. Here are the ABCs of good sleep.
Do use your bed only for sleep — not for work or using electronics —so that your brain doesn’t associate your bed as a place of busy activity.
Do get 7-8 hours of sleep per night.
Do get a full night’s sleep before a big test.
Do keep to a consistent sleep schedule.
Don’t use substances, especially while working or studying.
Don’t party, play video games, or use substances the night before an exam.
Don’t wait and pull all-nighters for studying or papers.
Don’t skip classes to sleep in.
