Students Sacrifice Z's for A's: Expert Says Lack of Sleep Hurts Exam Success
By: Kim Behrens
Updated: December 12, 2012
NORMAL- Sleep schedules at ISU are a lot shorter now.
Students are trading in their "Z's" to earn "A's" and B's".
But for some, getting good grades is taking a physical toll.
"I'm starting to get sick. The post nasal drip," said student Nicole Perreira. "I have a migraine right now. Just terrible."
"Everybody's tired. Everybody's going through it," added Alex Crandall.
For senior Charlie Mehl, the threat of a macro economics final is a formula for no rest.
"You get to lay down and you get that nagging voice in the back of your head running the math that you're not quite confident about, so you start doing problems in your head, and it's like just let me sleep!"
Mehl needs to get a passing grade in the class.
So staying up late to cram has been his recent routine.
"I'm a little bit worn out," Mehl admitted.
But a local sleep expert says sacrificing rest for study time can be detrimental during a test.
"A lot of memory and a lot of learning occur when you sleep," said Dr. Teresa Valerio.
Valerio treats people for insomnia.
She says sleep disorders like this are on the rise.
"All the technology available this really added to the difficulty with getting enough sleep and stress because people are stressed what do they do?"
For many, that means turning on the computer.
But this doctor says if people wind down an hour before bed, those 60 minutes are more likely to allow a full night's rest.
For math students like Mehl, adding an extra eight hours could multiply mental power during the big exam.
The holiday season can also take a toll on sleep as people rush to prepare meals and gifts.
Experts say if people strive to get at least eight hours of shut eye, it'll make for a merrier December.
Students are trading in their "Z's" to earn "A's" and B's".
But for some, getting good grades is taking a physical toll.
"I'm starting to get sick. The post nasal drip," said student Nicole Perreira. "I have a migraine right now. Just terrible."
"Everybody's tired. Everybody's going through it," added Alex Crandall.
For senior Charlie Mehl, the threat of a macro economics final is a formula for no rest.
"You get to lay down and you get that nagging voice in the back of your head running the math that you're not quite confident about, so you start doing problems in your head, and it's like just let me sleep!"
Mehl needs to get a passing grade in the class.
So staying up late to cram has been his recent routine.
"I'm a little bit worn out," Mehl admitted.
But a local sleep expert says sacrificing rest for study time can be detrimental during a test.
"A lot of memory and a lot of learning occur when you sleep," said Dr. Teresa Valerio.
Valerio treats people for insomnia.
She says sleep disorders like this are on the rise.
"All the technology available this really added to the difficulty with getting enough sleep and stress because people are stressed what do they do?"
For many, that means turning on the computer.
But this doctor says if people wind down an hour before bed, those 60 minutes are more likely to allow a full night's rest.
For math students like Mehl, adding an extra eight hours could multiply mental power during the big exam.
The holiday season can also take a toll on sleep as people rush to prepare meals and gifts.
Experts say if people strive to get at least eight hours of shut eye, it'll make for a merrier December.
