Hiya Alice,
My problem is this: whenever I have to study late at
night, or anything late at night, I usually have trouble (a lot of
trouble) concentrating on whatever it is that I have to do. I'm not going
to try anything like No-Doz, but when I drink coffee or anything with
caffeine, it just knocks me out even faster. I can't believe it —
it's like caffeine's some kind of sleeping potion for me. Some of my
friends say eating while you work can help you stay up. I tried that, too.
Didn't work. Any suggestions? Or am I just better off sleeping and leaving
the work 'till the next day?
—Sleepy
Dear Sleepy,
Sleep is a precious commodity at college, and invariably in short
supply. With too many activities and too few hours, sleep invariably
comes out on the short end of your time allotments. Sleep is both
relentless (nobody lives without it) and flexible (which tempts us to
abuse it). While our body remains immobile, nearly every organ and system
is undergoing measurable changes, some of them drastic, during sleep. And
while the brain seems nonreactive to outside stimuli, it is still
processing and filtering sensory information from the outside and is as
active (albeit in different ways) as the awake brain.
Why do some people need to sleep longer than others? Perhaps for the
same reason that some people are taller than others, or run faster: a
mixture of genetic and lifestyle factors. Some studies have shown that
short sleepers tend to be characterized as action-oriented on personality
tests and long sleepers tend to appear more introspective. In any case,
you need to use your own body, not someone else's behavior, as a guide for
your sleep needs. What you need for sleep may vary greatly from your
friends and roommates. In other words, do your studying earlier and get
some sleep at night!
- Alice
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Can't study late at night?
