One energy drink, two energy drinks, three energy drinks, floor.
Many University students are familiar with the all-nighter cycle, a common consequence of procrastination and last-minute cramming, but experts advise at least eight hours of sleep each night.
The reasons may vary, but students report the effects of a sleepless night are similar.
Kathy Saichuk, Wellness Education coordinator at the Student Health Center, said a person’s brain and body work best when following a standard routine, which can be interrupted by an occasional all-nighter.
“The biggest negative effect is what it does to brain function or cognition,” she said. “The only time the brain gets to rest or recover is when we get into deep sleep. Not sleeping has an affect on the brain, which has a domino effect on the good.”
Saichuk said even one all-nighter is unhealthy to a degree, and consecutive days without sleep could be detrimental to a person’s health.
“There’s a reason why they use sleep deprivation as a form of torture,” she said. “Thinking ability is reduced drastically, and a person might say or do things that are not them.”
Diane Mohler, assistant director for the Center for Academic Success, said information often connects from working memory to long-term memory during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.
Mohler said students occasionally come into the center with academic problems that result from lack of sleep.
“Students sometimes don’t feel like they’re performing as well on exams, or they come in sniffly or not feeling well,” she said. “I ask about their schedule and ask students when they study. If they say 2 to 3 in the morning, the problem becomes anyway.”
Hyver said she stays awake by taking breaks often — working for three hours, getting up and walking around, finding something to drink or eat and then going back to work.
“For certain things I know I’m going to need at least some sleep, like a math test, but for other things I know I can function without sleep, like sociology,” she said.
Saichuk said students can get better rest by watching their caffeine and refined sugar intake throughout the day, choosing healthy study snacks, avoiding alcohol before bed and following a daily routine.
Mohler said students should avoid cramming all night for exams and projects by planning ahead, using calendars, breaking up information and using separate spaces for sleep and study.
“My personal feeling is that students on average today are not getting as much rest as, say, 30 years ago,” she said. “I think there’s so much more to distract us and more available 24/7. That component changes the learning