Rest and Sleep - Important for your Health

I was speaking to one of my GCSE students after a tuition session about preparing for exams and getting the required amount of sleep to ensure she did not burn out. She mentioned that for a few years it was normal for her to go to bed at 1am. I asked her why so late? Her response was that it had become a habit. 

 

According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the occasional night without sleep will make you feel tired the next day, but it won't affect your health. 

 

However, after several sleepless nights, you will start to find that you: 

• feel tired all the time 

• drop off during the day 

• find it difficult to concentrate 

• find it hard to make decisions 

• start to feel depressed 

• start to worry about not being able to sleep 

 

A good way to get back to normal is to make sure that you wake up quite early at the same time every morning - whatever time you fell asleep the night before. 

 

Knowing when to rest is crucial for the body to repair itself and to feel refreshed. Getting the required number of hours of sleep is vitally important. Taking a day out of the week to have a rest day is sometimes unheard of as each day seems to be about ‘how much can I get done’ and ‘FOMO’- fear of missing out! Everything is at our disposal; everything is now. 

 

Taking a day to rest, to wind down- no work, no studying, nothing- can do the body and mind a world of good. It does not matter which day you choose as long as you have 1 day that is yours. However for this to happen you need to schedule the week so that each day is effective. 

 

As a student preparing for exams, planning a revision timetable can be effective in structuring how much you study, when you study and can also reduce your stress levels. Stress levels during the exam period is normal, but you need to keep it to a manageable level that works to your advantage; preparing yourself mentally so that you are psychologically in a healthy state. 

 

Making use of your learning style when you revise will also aid your learning. 

 

You may be a visual learner who uses colour to highlight important things or draws diagrams and sketches to help you remember points. 

You may be an auditory learner who reads your notes aloud or records your notes. 

You may be a reader and writer who copies out your notes or reads your notes silently. 

You may be an active learner who moves around the room or mentally reviews what you’ve been revising while you’re exercising. 

 

Once you know the type of learner you are, your plan will help you feel more in control, allowing you to find that crucial time to REST and SLEEP and become more effective.