Studying At Night (2024)

FAQs

Is it good to study at night? ›

If you tend to have higher energy levels later in the day or evening, a night-time study schedule can suit you well. If you choose to study at night, you are likely to have fewer distractions, giving you a chance to concentrate better. This option is highly recommended, especially if you live with your family.

During the night, when most people are asleep, you don't get as much digital disruption. As a result, you can concentrate for hours on end.

For these reasons, pulling an all-nighter in order to study may not help much. Students may have trouble learning new things while they are depriving themselves of sleep, which can even continue for days after the all-nighter. “Acute sleep deprivation leads to impaired judgment, worse than being drunk.”

Studying at Night

Sleeping after studying is also said to consolidate information and improve recall. One thing to note though, do make sure you are still getting an average of 8 to 9 hours of sleep nightly.

The Best Time to Learn Something New

Learning is most effective when the brain is in acquisition mode, generally between 10:00 am to 2:00 p.m. and then again from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Night owls beware: think twice before pulling an all-nighter. The lowest learning valley occurs between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.

This is because there is a dip in the stress hormone cortisol, which remains high during the day as the evening approaches and night sets in your body reduce the secretion of cortisol to prepare for sleep, making you relaxed and hence more productive.

According to science, the best hours to study are between 10 am and 2 pm, from 4 pm to 10 pm. This is a time when the human brain is in acquisition mode.

Avoid late-night study

If you're using a laptop or tablet, the blue light from these devices will also interrupt the release of melatonin, the hormone that brings on sleepiness. You can prevent this by switching off blue-light devices and closing your textbooks at least two hours before bedtime.

Is 3am the best time to study? There is no definitive answer to the question of whether 3am is the best time to study. Some people find that they are most productive during these early morning hours, while others may find it difficult to focus at such an early time.

“If you're choosing between a few hours of sleep or an all-nighter, go for the sleep. Even short naps can help you feel and perform better. When possible, catch up on lost sleep with a few afternoon naps or early nights as your energy, well-being, and performance will still be impaired with two hours of sleep.”

Is it better to cram or sleep? ›

When it comes to retaining new information, napping has been proven to be even more effective than cramming. There is a delicate balance between napping just enough and napping too much, though. Limit your naps to 20 to 30 minutes, and plan for naps to end by late afternoon.

Scores of studies conclude that students really do better when they sleep. Sleeping poorly (or not at all) leads to worse test results and poorer ability to learn new things. In fact, an all nighter hurts your ability to think, reason, and understand to the same degree as if you were taking your test drunk.

Sleep and memory. View Source share a complex relationship. Getting enough rest helps you process new information. View Source once you wake up, and sleeping after learning can consolidate this information into memories, allowing you to store them in your brain.

When you learn something new, the best way to remember it is to sleep on it. That's because sleeping helps strengthen memories you've formed throughout the day. It also helps to link new memories to earlier ones. You might even come up with creative new ideas while you slumber.

According to PBS Academy,” Studying at this time also helps to improve your concentration and creativity as there are fewer distractions, and with everyone in bed, there is peace and quiet.” With fewer distractions, students can focus on what matters and not have to worry about anything else.

Get a good night's sleep

While you might be tempted to pull all-nighter to cram for your exam tomorrow, it may have the opposite effect. Research has shown that memory and learning are consolidated during sleep, particularly in the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) phase.

It is best to read and study in natural light during the daytime, irrespective of if you are using a paperback book or technology.

Although laying in bed is the ultimate in comfort, sitting in bed isn't always as comfortable. Sitting in an uncomfortable position applies pressure to your back, which can lead to spine problems over time. It's a sneaky disadvantage to studying in bed, but it's important to consider for the long-term.