Stop studying. Take a nap. That’s the message from Catholic University of Leuven researchers who found that one more hour of sleep makes a big difference to your grade:
Additionally, the number of hours slept – and not the quality of sleep during that time – played a significant role in exam performance. “Students who increased their night’s sleep from six to seven hours were rewarded with an average increase of 1.7 points (on a scale of 20) for each exam. Of course, it goes without saying that the optimal sleep time varies for each individual.”
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The process of memory consolidation occurs mostly during the REM sleep phase, which is concentrated in the second half of the sleep cycle. Getting at least seven hours of sleep is essential to this, say the researchers.