Midnight toils

“I prefer studying at night and since December I have been sleeping at around 3am in the morning,” says Puja Pallavi,a class 12 student adding,”One should not resort to harmful measures when easy ones are at hand; the most common practice is to take a break and a walk while one feels sleepy. Calling friends to discuss studies and sharing light moments can also do wonders,” she adds.

“It is good to sleep for a while when you feel tired,” says Neha Ansari,who is answering her board exams adding “In between my studies I listen to music on the radio,which is very refreshing as they play good songs and have programmes and tips particularly for the students.”

A sound sleep for at least eight hours is important before writing an exam. If the mind is not given sufficient rest,it becomes difficult to remain alert and focused. “A sleep of five to seven hours is good enough. Being awake continuously affects the hearts palpitation and memory as well,as the brain needs rest and during sleep,it stores up what has been learnt,” says Dr Avinash Bhondwe,a city based physician. Then there are students who go for stimulants like coffee,tea,chocolates,and syrups. Although such things give fresh energy,they add to the stress levels. ” Fruits and plenty of water is what will keep one fit and healthy during the exams”,Bhondwe adds.

The psychological factors do play a major role during exam times. “Being awake late and not sleeping for a long time will affect the body psychology and might result in memory loss,” says city psychiatrist Dr Himani Chaphekar. “When you lose sleep,cognitive functions like reasoning and logical ability are badly affected. This can lead to nervousness,poor concentration and mental slowness. Therefore,it is not advisable to be ‘all-nighters’ often. There is certain pattern of brain which works only when there is enough amount of rest,” says Chaphekar,adding,”However,no magic formula can substitute a planned study throughout the year with a minimum of five to seven hours sleep a day.”