A recent study by the National Academy of Sciences in the US revealed that sleep deprivation results in students (especially first year at college) scoring poorly in their courses.
The two-year study recorded sleep habits of more than 600 college freshmen. The research, titled 'Nightly sleep duration predicts grade point average in the first year of college' found that proper sleep helps the brain process and retain information it has learned.
David Creswell, the lead author of the study and a professor in psychology and neuroscience at Carnegie Mellon University, says that a regular pattern of insufficient sleep creates a 'sleep debt' over time, leaving students unable to concentrate. "These college students are going to class with a ton of sleep debt, and they’re having trouble staying focused and learning in college classrooms," he said.
This is how students responded to the study’s findings. They all agreed on sleep deprivation and acknowledged it’s connection to grades.
Vinita Joshi | First year B.Ed student at Maharaja Surajmal Institute, GGSIPU, Delhi
“Sleeping late does result in less energy and fatigue throughout the next day, and more importantly, I am not able to focus properly Every time I get a good amount of sleep for 7-8 hours, I feel active, engaged and more productive the next day. It’s a good start to the morning, which makes the rest of the day even better.”
Kanishka Pandey | First Year MBA student at Graphic Era Hill University, Bhimtal
“With regards to changes in my sleep pattern since my school days, there is an immense change We are currently faced with a vast syllabus and apart from my course, I have other important things to attend to. I do believe that less sleep means fewer grades. Our mental and physical health plays a very vital role in our life, as the body needs proper rest. A good amount of sleep improves concentration levels and productivity, while ack of sleep often results in anxiety.”
Chirag Bohra | First year BTech student at Graphic Era Hill University, Bhimtal
“I completely agree with the research as lack of sleep leads to mental absenteeism in classes the next day. I feel stressed, as I don't find my 100% mental strength. I feel sleepy during classes and find myself unable to understand much during the lectures. Also, I fully agree with the statement that good sleep helps in refreshing the mind. We get a better understanding of things.”
Sweta Tanwar | Final-year BA (Hons) History from Ram Lal Anand College (DU)
“I feel stressed and lack focus throughout the day if I sleep less the previous night. We get limited time to study during college hours and sometimes it gets a little difficult to manage time. That’s the reason, I end up staying awake the whole night and completing assignments. I do agree that good sleep means an energetic and fresh start for the next day, while if you sleep late, you wake up tired the next day and won't be able to give your best. The same goes for improving our grades.”
Sahib Saini | First year MDes student at DIT University, Dehradun
“Sleeping on time helps me reduce stress and gain more confidence at college. It's important to work more efficiently in order to achieve better results but a proper amount of rest is also an important factor for our growth and development. Less sleep makes me feel irritated and stressed. I do get time to complete my assignments during the day but sometimes I prefer to work late at night when I have more projects to complete. When I sleep late at night, I am not able to concentrate during lectures.”
Kiran Saxena | First year MA (English) student from Delhi University
“Recently, I was so sleep-deprived that I didn't even know what I was actually studying. I still forced myself to complete my work but I was unable to do it. So, I decided I take a nap and then continued. When one hasn't had a sufficient amount of sleep, they end up yawning or even sleeping during the lectures and their interest in class also wanes. If one has an afternoon nap then studying late at night is not a big deal.”
