Is studying at odd hours good or bad

Do you prefer studying at night? If you are a night owl, you must be familiar with the peaceful revision time till 3 am, rather than waking up at 5 am, in case of early risers. Students are categorized into two types generally, i.e., those who study till late at night and those who wake up early in the morning to study.

Let’s talk about the benefits and harms of studying till late at night.

Advantages of being a night owl:

  • Show a better ability to concentrate and stay alert:

 Late night studying provides the opportunity to have better concentrating hours.

  • Better retention of information: 

The retention of information is improved if you revise information before sleeping at night. Studying in the morning is sometimes affected by new information inflow and constant random distractions.

Advantages of being a night owl

585172205

  • Less exam stress: 

Early risers sometimes get a higher level of the stress hormone, i.e., cortisol. It means that they are more stressed about exams than the night owls. As studying at night is coupled with calmness, students can get the work done better than wasting time panicking.

  • Peace:

It is peaceful and quiet at night as the rest of the family is asleep and can not disturb you; it’s just your books and you! Nothing distracts you at this time, which may take your mind off your studies. The creative output of the mind is also elevated, which is why a ratio of artists, poets, and writers work until the early morning hours.

If you are into studying at night, you should focus on the right lighting and keep track of the time. Otherwise, staying up late will make you feel drowsy in the daytime, and it can lead to eye strain and headache in the daytime.

Disadvantages of being a night owl: 

  • More chances of forgetting what you learn:

Whatever you study in odd hours is stored in short-term memory. So cramming new chapters at midnight is not going to facilitate you permanently. If you don’t revise what you learn at midnight, it won’t allow the transcend from “short term” to “long term” memory, which is essential for an exam that might be weeks away

  • Your brain loses efficiency due to sleep deprivation: 

When you compromise sleep, you get weary, and so do your brain cells. Studying till late at night results in alleviation in performance for learning and memory. The peak cognitive efficiency occurs earlier in the day, and studying at night is like fighting our biological clock.

Disadvantages of being a night owl

  • You may have less focus in class: 

Irrespective of whether you are an early riser or a night owl, you need to wake up within a specified time interval to be in your class. If you keep awake at night, it will be very difficult for you to stay awake and focused in class, which will eventually lead to a lack of attention in understanding new concepts in class. The disturbed sleep cycle affects your cognitive skills. The late-night study is a good idea if only you complete your 7- 8 hours of sleep.

  • Health issues: 

Late night studying can push you to face health issues as sleep deprivation leads to forgetfulness. It can make you feel tired and can affect your neurological health as well.

  • Analytical skills: 

Not getting enough sleep affects your analytical skills as well.

  • Lack of sleep: 

Sleep is essential for the processing of information. If due to sleep deprivation, you feel struggling to keep your eyes open in the daytime, you will feel miserable when you won’t be at your sharpest.

Lack of sleep

Lack of proper time can make you feel stressed and overwhelmed:

The last-minute studying can be overwhelming. People feel unprepared if they study the material just once. It can make you feel stressed, leaving you more worried than you would be about how you will perform.