by Heather Waltman, Reference Librarian

        In order to fully maximize the effectiveness of your study time, it is important to consider your brain’s potential for productivity as it changes throughout the day.  Understanding your own mental clock allows you to develop an efficient schedule.  Even though, as humans, our bodies operate naturally on a 24-hour cycle, 40% of the general population is thought to have “early-bird” or “night owl” predispositions.  These physiological differences tend to govern our sleep habits and activity levels throughout the day.  Whether you are an early riser or prefer to study late at night, the fluctuations of your biological clock can be used to your advantage.                           

A series of articles in a recent issue of TIME magazine (January 16, 2006) explored this topic and presented a schedule for maximizing performance in the morning and at night.  As you would expect, the potential for creativity and problem solving is generally highest for early risers in the first hours of wakefulness.  Night owls, however, seem to perform better during mid-day, after they’ve overcome their morning grogginess, and in the evening and late night.  Both groups need a rejuvenation period, which, for morning people, occurs in the early evening, and, for night owls, in the late afternoon.  The rejuvenation period is critical, as this is a time when the brain rests but still needs to remain sharp.  Exercise and mental stimulation activities renew the brain’s capacity for concentration, learning, problem solving and accuracy.  Performing math without a calculator; memorizing poems, jokes, or lists of words; and puzzle-solving are just a few of the brain-building activities you can use to energize your mind, so be sure to stop by the reference shelves on the second floor and try your hand at our jigsaw puzzle.

        Above all you must not deprive yourself of sleep if you wish to achieve and sustain mental acuity.  Most people require eight hours of sleep every night to fully function.  “Sleep helps consolidate memory, improve judgment, promote learning and concentration, boost mood, speed reaction time and sharpen problem-solving and accuracy.”  (Sora Song, “Sleeping Your Way to the Top,” Time January 16, 2006, 83). According to Timothy Roehrs, the director of research at the Sleep Disorders and Research Center at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, oversleeping on weekend mornings to make up for a week of deprivation is not advisable.  “Late rising can disrupt your circadian rhythm, making it even harder later to get a full night’s rest.”

        In reality, getting adequate sleep is difficult. When you supplement your study regime with caffeine, however, you may be able to overcome some of the negative effects of sleep deprivation.  According to Dr. Peter Martin, the director of the Addiction Center at Vanderbilt University, caffeine helps to improve “reaction time, vigilance, attention, logical reasoning – most of the complex functions you associate with intelligence.”

        In combination, paying attention to your internal clock, performing mental exercises, sleeping adequately, and consuming caffeine, will hopefully give you the concentration, stamina, and conceptual thinking ability you need to survive one more semester of final exams. You are sure to find a comfortable and inviting study spot in the library, regardless of your biological clock, sleep habits or caffeine consumption.  Night owls can take advantage of the library’s extended hours during the final exam period when we are open until 2:00 a.m.; early birds will have plenty of early morning study opportunities as well. Good Luck!