EXAM SPECIAL: The Role Of Sleep

I am sure all of you have gone through the experience of not being able to solve a math or physics problem, late in the evening, despite your best intention to do so. However, when you got up early in the morning next day, you were able to solve the problem instantly.

Do you know that you should give the credit to your sleep, for helping you to solve the problem instantly, with which you had struggled the previous evening?

Today, let me tell you why you need to thank your sleep for helping to solve the problem.

About a third of your life goes into sleeping, that means when you reach the age of 45 years, you have approximately spent 15 years in sleep (around 8 hours every day). Doctors agree that sleep of 8 hours is important not only for your wellbeing but also for improving your attention and grasping skills. Sleep is a process by which body cleanses the toxic products in your brain that got generated when you were awake. By sleeping for around 8 hours a day, we help our brain to erase insignificant memories and at the same time strengthen those memories which are very vital to us including whatever we studied.

Dr Barbara Oakley in her book ‘A mind for numbers’ mentions that if you go through your study materials just before going to bed, you have an increased chance of dreaming about it. Dreaming about what you are studying can help you to understand it and recall it later. Those who are pursuing learning on regular basis (conventional mode/distance education mode/MOOC mode) agree to the fact that reading for one hour with a relaxed mind is better than reading for few hours with a tired and disturbed mind.

Students, please remember if you are not sleeping well at night, then your ability to learn will get diminished. To improve your ability to understand, remember and recall, you need to get a good sleep of minimum 8 hours every day. Inculcate this good habit without any delay.

I will come back to you all, with a new concept very soon, till then Good Night!

– Prakash Prabhu
[ Mr.Prakash Prabhu works for The Manipal Group as a Senior HR Manager with over 15 years of corporate experience. He has been the lead writer and contributor to CHIRP magazine.(An intra-Manipal group monthly employee magazine) An avid reader who devours one book after another, Mr.Prabhu is also a certified handwriting analyst.]