Sleep Your Way to Success: Power of Pre-Exam Rest!

Coping with academic stress is key to academic and career success, but what strategies can help students excel during periods of acute stress remains to be answered.

From exams to career success — understanding how some students thrive under stress while others struggle to cope is crucial.

Exams are a period of acute stress, in fact from standard 8th to completion of graduation, there is a period of acute on chronic stress due to the number of exams which have to be given.

Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders - Types, Causes, Health risks, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prognosis
Circadian rhythm (also known as sleep/wake cycle or the body clock) is a biological process that follows an internal cycle of roughly 24 hours.

‘Adequate sleep is vital to overall health, allowing cellular regeneration and optimal organ and system functioning.’

Some students get extremely stressed and some are able to cope well, remain healthy and perform well in their academics and career. So what is it that actually helps the student to reach that potential?

Sleep Before Exams

One of the most important factors is sleep. Most of us do not count sleep as part of our health. In fact, it comes way down in the list of priorities. Most students pride themselves on not sleeping during the exams and burning the midnight oil.

A large chunk of this has been created by a false belief system stating that the student must revise the exam portion the previous day or maybe the student is not prepared and is trying to retain last-minute preparations.

About Sleep Disturbances
The physical, emotional and hormonal changes that occur in women during puberty, menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause can cause Sleep Disturbances

For whatever may be the reason, a good night's sleep not only the day before the exam but also 1 month before the exam is essential.

Why is Sleep Necessary?

Sound Sleep for a Sound Body:

Duration of sleep depends on the age of the individual with younger children requiring more sleep, but on average a good eight-nine hours of restful sleep is required for optimal functioning of the body

About Sleep Disorder
Sleep disorders can either be having difficulty in getting sleep or dozing off at inappropriate time.

Proper Hormone Functioning:

Good sleep stabilizes the hormones of the body namely blood sugar level, insulin level, cholesterol, leptin, ghrelin, and cortisol levels of the body. These hormones are essential for proper functioning of the body

Increases Weight Gain:

Lack of sleep suppresses the leptin or the satiety hormone and activates ghrelin (hunger hormone). As a result of this, the individual develops excessive hunger and cravings and has more sweet and salty food leading to weight gain.

Importance of Sleep for Athletes
Sleep is as important as good physical training and a healthy diet to excel for an athlete. Understand the physiology of rest & its importance.

Risk of Diabetes:

When blood sugar levels are not maintained and insulin level rises, there is an increased incidence of developing prediabetes or diabetes at an early age, many of which may be missed.

Impaired Sleep, Impaired Immunity:

Lack of sleep increases cortisol levels which cause inflammation in the body leading to repeated infections and decreased immunity. Appearing for exams in a sick state decreases performance and needs to be avoided

Poor Sleep, Poor Memory:

Increased cortisol level also interferes with cognition and memory leading to poor recall, confusion, and forgetfulness. All of this together creates anxiety, nervousness, and stress creating a situation of fear in the mind of the student.

Hence, sleep is a very important component of health. Good sleep is the time when the cellular regeneration of the body takes place helping all the organs and systems of the body to work in unison and the best possible manner.

This creates a healthy body with a safe mental environment which is critical for growth, development, and meeting all challenges of life including exams.

Source-IANS