It’s the time of the year where we learn to appreciate time the most. During the semester, sleep deprivation is often caused from typical college life: partying, late nights hanging out with friends, and part-time jobs. Once April hits, the most common culprit of sleep deprivation: late nights in the library. We are constantly reminded of the importance of sleep during finals week, and there is plenty of research that shows us that sleep helps consolidate memory, yet still we often don’t sleep as much as we should.
Recent research found that an awake resting state might consolidate memory in a way similar to what happens during sleep. After learning, if the brain is let to wander with little awareness of external stimuli, it results in greater memory recall compared to doing a task that requires focus. In addition, those who let their minds wander even when doing a specific task have better memory recall than those who remain completely focused on the task.
So, as finals week is among us and you are firmly set on postponing catching up on sleep, letting your mind wander for just a few minutes a day may help you keep that information locked—at least until you hand in that final.