If You’re Looking for Better Grades, Make Sure to Get Some Sleep
Parents who admire their kids’ late-night study habits might be
better off encouraging them to get some shut-eye instead — new
research suggests well-rested students fare better academically.
After UCLA researchers tracked 500 high school students to see
how sleep affected their grades, they found that the older the
kids got, the more impact sleep deprivation had. By the time
they were seniors, students who sacrificed sleep for studying
reported diminished test performance or having trouble
understanding class material. “Although studying is essential,
sleep is important for learning,” says Dr. Phyllis C. Zee,
professor of neurology and director of the Sleep Disorders
Center at Northwestern University. “Even one night of sleep loss
can negatively affect performance.” Experts say the solution is
not to study less (sorry, kids) but to space it out more so that
an all-night cram session isn’t required.