For Success, Stack Study and Sleep
As anyone who has ever struggled to leave the comfort of a cozy bed knows, sleep matters. In fact, sleep deficits are linked to such a litany of physical and psychological disorders that one has to wonder why a solid 8 or more hours a night isn’t prescribed medically for children. Adolescents, existing as they do in an attenuated state of development, need a whole lot more sleep (9.25 hours) than they typically get (7 hours). No wonder teens can be so moody. Yes, sleep supports optimal physical health, emotional well-being, and better decision making. But if that’s not enough for you, let’s throw in better grades and test scores. Researchers learn again and again that people often learn better when sleeping before and after–but obviously not during–instruction or study. A large group of scientists, mostly from French universities, explored one easily appreciated aspect of this dynamic: Relearn Faster and…
What to Do the Night Before the Big Test
So… you are finally ready for the big test. You go to sleep Friday night, confident in your progress and abilities, and proceed to be agonized by nightmares that limit you to two hours of sleep. Or worse, you get so much sleep that you slumber right through your alarm. Better to have a strategy to make sure that all of your hard work was not in vain. For starters, don’t do any prep work Friday night. Cramming may work for final exams and college, but if you aren’t prepared for the test by the night before, you are in trouble. From personal experience, I can attest to this. Many years ago, I was frantically preparing a new manual for an SAT math class that I was running in New Jersey. I did something I hadn’t done since college – the dreaded “all-nighter”. With the book close to completion, I…
Strategic Laziness: Putting Downtime on Your Calendar
Now that another school year has ended and both students and teachers are looking forward to a much-needed summertime break, the time has come to praise the productive side of “downtime.” Do you ever look at your scribbled-over calendar days, resting your eyes with relief on an upcoming “blank” day when nothing is planned? You are not alone. Our busy world tends to valorize constant activity, but the truth is that taking breaks and having strategic downtime is crucial to doing your best work. Even the Harvard Business Review acknowledges The Upside of Downtime. What is downtime? For most students, the grinding schedule of weekday school hours suddenly melts away in the summer, and the student gains control of his or her time. Jobs, camps, trips, and summer sports begin to provide some structure to the upcoming days, but overall most students have more power to design their own days…
Super Sleep as Easy as 10-3-2-1-0
Sleep sets up success. Without enough of the former, you may not experience any of the latter. No wonder high achievers jealously protect their scheduled hours of slumber. The average teen needs about 9.25 hours of sleep a night for optimal performance. But, in sleep as in all other things, quality is as important as quantity. Craig Ballantyne, the Editor of Early to Rise, seems to have cracked the code to quality slumber. His 10-3-2-1-0 formula establishes the conditions to facilitate getting to bed on time, sleeping better, and waking up the next morning well rested and ready for a great day. 10 hours before bed – No more caffeine 3 hours before bed – No more food (or alcohol, obviously!) 2 hours before bed – No more work 1 hour before bed – No more screen time 0 – The number of times you will hit the snooze button…
12 Days of Time Management: Create a Routine
Time and money are a lot alike. After all, both can be spent, invested, and even squandered. But while you can always earn more money, you can never earn more time. Spend wisely using our 12 Days of Time Management for Teens: Create a Routine Who knew that circadian rhythms were so powerful? Most people understand how our natural rhythms control our sleep cycles, determining not just when we awaken each day but also when we feel most alert and productive. But circadian rhythms also exert influence on our biological functions, behavior, and even mood. Unfortunately for teens, the change in circadian rhythms triggered by puberty knocks them out of sync with most high schools: school starts really early but teens want to stay up really late. See the problem? If you’re committed to making the most of your time, you must create a routine and stick to it.…
Sleeping Your Way to Better Test Scores
Sleep and learning are inextricably linked. Albert Camus understood the connection: “Some people talk in their sleep. Lecturers talk while other people sleep.” But the sleep you catch up on in class is not going to get you to your best grades or test scores. Instead, how and when you hit the pillow exerts a tremendous impact on your performance the next day. The Motherlode blog at the New York Times explored the concept of tailoring sleep patterns to desired outcomes. In essence, the author suggests the following: Facing a trivia contest, spelling bee, or test based on memorized information? Go to sleep early to get as much Stage 1 deep sleep as you can. Deep sleep is when the brain consolidates new information. Facing a big sporting event, performance, or test based on practiced physical skills? Sleep late enough to enjoy sufficient quantities of Stage 2 sleep. Stage 2…