Regardless of where you grew up, I’m willing to bet all of us have heard our teachers give the crucial piece of advice to “make sure you get enough sleep.” However, while we all may know this, in light of stress from exceptionally difficult classes (or exceptionally bad procrastination), it is not uncommon to engage in, or at least consider pulling an “all-nighter.”

As scientists call it, these SN-TSDs (Single Night of Total Sleep Deprivation) may seem like the most productive way to cram a ton of information in your brain all at once; however, SN-TSDs may actually be causing worse testing performance and memory retention on exam day. Nearly 60% of university students say that they have engaged in an “all-nighter” at least once since starting college, but what effect does it truly have on our brains?

On the most basic level, regardless of the type of class or nature of the material being learned, on exam day, your brain performs two main functions:

1.    Access memory formed through learning/studying.

2.    The ability to process visual input efficiently and execute an appropriate response.

Regarding the first function, over the past decades, literature continues to point towards the critical role that sleep plays in memory access and formation. Getting adequate sleep has proven to enhance synaptic plasticity, the process allowing neurons to change their strength and function over time, effectively allowing us to “program” new information into our memories. Sleep deprivation can directly damage these neurons, preventing this plasticity from being able to occur, especially in regions like the hippocampus: a seahorse-shaped structure crucially linked to both information processing and memory formation and crystallization. Reduction in neuronal plasticity and proliferation in the hippocampus can thus lead to impairments in one’s ability to recall memories as well as form new memories.

More recently, a UCLA medical study revealed that not only can acute sleep deprivation inhibit the function of neurons that are responsible for memory retention, but also that our brain cells effectively “get sleepy” the longer we don’t have rest. While studying 12 epileptic patients with electrodes implanted in their brains, Dr Itzhak Fried and his team induced seizures in their patients through sleep deprivation, and monitored brain activity following its onset. They found that over time, as they had the 12 individuals categorize various images at different intervals, lack of sleep caused the electrical signaling that allows for neuron communication in the brain to slow and weaken, inhibiting the brain’s ability to process and encode visual information into conscious thought. On top of this, during periods of sleep deprivation, theta waves (sleep-like brain waves that occur during states of dreaming) wash over the brain, even during wakefulness, and were found to co-occur with cognitive lapses apparent through impaired behavior performance in their recognition tests. Therefore while not all of us may struggle with epilepsy, this research helps us understand the ways in which sleep deprivation can significantly impact our brain’s physiological ability to absorb information, regardless of how many hours you put into studying. 

While pulling an all-nighter may feel like the best solution for diminishing academic pressure during exam season, neuroscience research says it may come at significant costs. The very core functions your brain serves during exams – memory retrieval, cognitive processing, and focus – are the first to feel the effects of that seemingly harmless all-nighter. Even thinking outside of the main functions our brains serve during exams, sleep deprivation is correlated with increased negative emotional responses to stressors and often can cause difficulties in mood regulation.

It is very important that university students like ourselves are equipped with the tools to navigate the stressful and sometimes unrewarding battle of increasingly difficult classes. Along the way, we need to ensure that we are taking care of ourselves. This may look like a sweet treat or a brain break to watch your favorite show, but it is important to remember that the most effective way to truly get rest and recovery is through sleep.