Studying late night? It could affect performance

New Delhi: Studying through the night and waking up late in the morning may not be a good idea. The body clock may refuse to adjust when the examinations dawn, making students groggy and tired when they need to be alert and focussed.

 

Several students stay awake at night because they can study undisturbed for hours with just their table lamp for company. But they don't realise that the will have to be up and about for the 10.30 a.m.-1.30 p.m. examination schedule beginning March 1.

 

Manan Gupta, a Class 12 student, studies till 4 a.m. every day and sleeps till noon the next day during the ongoing study break. He finds that his concentration level is at its best at night.

 

"I am able to cram my social studies lessons very well at night. My younger brother cannot disturb me, and my friends also do not call up. So, I study - with a small break to play on the computer - till I tire at around 4 a.m."

 

Another reason for Manan to stay up at the night are his taxing coaching school schedules - three-four hours daily with maths, science, computers and Sanskrit packed in for which he has to study their given study material, do the exhaustive homework and also take regular tests.

 

The night is practically the only time he has to study on his own. Though he brushes aside the possibility of night-time studying taking a toll on him during examinations, he says: "I think I shall be fine, but maybe there is sense in this talk about the body clock. "

 

Says Swati Mohan, a counsellor at G.D. Goenka School: "When students get used to studying late hours, they come bleary-eyed for the examination next day. It tells on their concentration, as the brain has to re-adjust its capacity to focus. Their sleep cycle also gets disrupted. So it is advisable for students to get used to sleeping on time before examination."