Want To Pull An All-Nighter? Think Again

Written By: Chamathi De Silva, Class Of 2024

This blog is about the health effects of all-nighters, offering tips and highlighting the importance of maintaining a healthy sleep schedule.

Introduction

We, as medical students have a lot of material to study as well as a large number of exams to undertake. Staying up at night to put in some last minute studying before the exam next day is something you and I have done at least once in our days at the university. Have you thought what effects it has on the body and the mind? Is it effective to study like this? Do we do well on the exams? It is true that this is necessary to cram as much information as possible before the exam but the effectiveness of this endeavour is to be seriously doubted.

What Is An ‘All-Nighter’?

An All-nighter is staying awake all night and then going through the next day as you normally would. In medical terms, this can be considered as going without sleep for 24 hours or more and is called Total Sleep Deprivation. This is a staple of student life, be it for the sake of cramming for an exam or just staying up to have fun with friends or even to binge your favorite show.

Is It Worth It?

The day after staying up late is rather hard for all of us. It is common to feel tired and sleepy. We tend to lack the energy and enthusiasm we would have had if we had slept properly. But sometimes these effects are little to bear in comparison with the accomplishments we achieve such as getting a good grade for the exam.

The most immediate negative influence of sleep deprivation is on a person’s cognitive thinking. You may to put more effort to remember small details and have trouble keeping up with your peers. It can also impair our capacity to judge situations and make decisions. Due to these factors, pulling all-nighters on the regular will not be of much help for those students who face hardships in learning new things and since they have to continue learning the day after pulling an all-nighter as well.

The increase in lack of sleep can lead to a person having a volatile mood. It can also affect the ability of a person to gauge the emotional responses of others and respond in accordance to the situation. Muscle repair and energy regeneration both occur during sleep. Lethargy and low energy levels can be a result of sleep deprivation. Also studies have shown sensitization of people to feelings of pain, temperature without sleep over a long period of time increases drastically. Immune system can be affected by continued sleep deprivation resulting in inflammation and may increase the risk of chronic illnesses.

In the long term, sleep deprivation increases your risk of developing high blood pressure, heart diseases, type 2 diabetes and obesity as well as can have a major impact of your mental health. Also it can encourage poor sleeping habits which over time, could impact your overall health and even be a cause of insomnia.

Is It A Good Idea To Occasionally Pull An All- Nighter?

In reality, there are some unavoidable cases where we will have to go without sleep once in a while and it may be the best course of action in the moment.

However, continuous practice of sleep deprivation is not recommended. The risks of it are too high for the minimal rewards and the consequences take too much of our time to deal with. So it is recommended to avoid all-nighters as much as possible.

Tips To Pull An All-Nighter

1. Use of caffeine: In the short-term it can give a boost of alertness if you struggle to stay awake. But be careful not to have too much as it can disrupt your sleep schedule and the maximum recommended amount is no more than 400 mg per day which is about 4 cups of coffee.

2. Light exposure: Exposure to light promotes alertness, so keep bright lights on when you work an all-nighter. Then try to get some sunlight to help stay awake through the next day.

3. Take a nap: A light nap during the daytime after pulling an all-nighter may help you feel more alert. Aim for 10 to 20 minutes nap. A 30 minute nap will make you feel groggy upon waking up.

4. Eat healthy food: If you feel tempted to snack junk foods or candy when sleep deprived try to eat a good meal as junk food and candy can make you feel more sleepy and throw off your metabolism.

Conclusion

Although we sometimes need to pull an all-nighter, it is best to have a proper sleep schedule and to have a healthy amount of sleep. Each person needs a different amount of sleep in accordance with their personal wellbeing. Always prioritize your sleep and try to go to sleep and wake up at nearly the same time every day. If you have any trouble with sleep, it is recommended to visit a physician for medical help.