The Anatomy of an All-Nighter

THE ANATOMY of an ALL-NIGHTER situation where sleep must be sacrificed for the sake of success. Most everyone encounters Whether procrastination or a lack of planning is to blame, pulling an all-nighter happens. However, pulling an all-nighter now and then to finish a project or to study may do more harm than many think: THE PROBLEM WITH ALL-NIGHTERS: Another study reports that only 11.4% of students in the past week have gotten enough sleep to feel rested, The mean GPA for students is One study revealed that as many as 2/3 of students have pulled at least one all-nighter during a semester. 2.8, but it's 2.65 for sleep-deprived students. Unfortunately for students, this lack of sleep causes depression and irritability, which impacts the brain's ability to retain information. Quality sleep is essential for students, because A few nights' worth of all-nighters may lead to it's during REM sleep when the brain embeds more than just a few groggy mornings -- they ! the information it's learned during the day. can impact your grades, too. Without it, the brain can't perform properly. Preparation is the key to successfully pulling an all-nighter. Here are some ways to help you stay awake. However, there are consequences. Find out: COMMON WAYS TO PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER DRINKING CAFFEINE PLAYING MUSIC EATING SNACKS EXERCISING BRIGHT LIGHTS It may help you feel energized, but take care to play songs without lyrics so they won't distract you. While a few cups may help you stay awake initially, it will only offer a temporary boost, and may leave you feeling jittery. Snacking can help keep you awake, but choose wisely. Stay away from fatty foods like burgers and fries, which can slow you down. A few jumping jacks may help to get the blood pumping, but don't overexert yourself, as it may exhaust you even more. Keep on a few lights so you'll stay awake, but dim you monitor a bit so you don't experience eye strain. A quick nap can have positive results including increased alertness and enhanced brainpower. Consider taking a break to sleep to re-charge the body's batteries and reduce one's overall sleep debt. ANOTHER OPTION: POWER NAPS Closing your eyes for a limited time can leave a person feeling refreshed afteward. Naps can also boost the immune system. People who take daily 30-minute naps are 37% less likely to die of heart disease than those who don't nap. However, don't power nap unless you're sure you'll be able to wake up and continue working afterwards. For some, even closing their eyes for 10 minutes will make them fall asleep for the night. The effects from pulling all-nighters do not go away as soon as you'd think. Chronic sleep deprivation can cause long-term side effects including. Find out how: SHORT- & LONG-TERM EFFECTS SHORT-TERM A lack of sufficient sleep can lead to poor concentration and a shortened attention span. Researchers found that participants who pulled an all-nighter experienced bouts of euphoria and heightened positive feelings. However, this surge of overly optimistic emotions is short-lived and it may lead to risky behavior. Your ability to learn and retain information decreases. The parts of our brains that deal with memory are more active when we get some sleep. While spending the night cramming, you may not remember the information Lack of sleep can cause people to lose the ability to read the emotions of others. It can impact the ability to control your emotions. During sleep, the brain releases neurotransmitters, which help organize emotions. in the long run. LONG- TERM Pulling all-nighters alters the hormones that tell you when to eat and when to Lack of sleep makes it difficult for your body to filter out glucose. This can lead to diabetes or kidney Chronic sleep deficiency Frequently pulling all-nighters weakens the immune system. You are left feeling too sick to get work done. stop eating. Lack of sleep can lead to insulin causes an imbalance in resistance and diabetes, these hormones. Weight heart disease and stroke. gain can happen as a result. failure. ONLINE COLLEGES SOURCES: Christian Montoya | Ask Men | Greatist | Her Campus | Breez JMU | BU Today | US News| Information provided by: http://www.onlinecolleges.net/