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TAMU | Life > Academics

Why Sleep Matters More During Finals Season

Annika Wooten Student Contributor, Texas A&M University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TAMU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Most college students have trouble keeping a good sleep schedule, especially during finals. Maybe you’re up studying until 3 am, waking up early for an 8 am exam, lying awake worrying about grades, or watching movies late to unwind. We’ve all been there, and we all feel it the next day. In this article, I’ll talk about why sleep matters so much during finals, when late-night study sessions are at their peak.

Let’s start with some sleep stats for college students. The National Library of Medicine says half of college students feel tired during the day, and 70% say they don’t get enough sleep. College students are the most exhausted age group, and one architecture school found that most students get only about 5.7 hours of sleep.

So why does this matter? These stats show that being tired is common in college, but it also has a big impact on your grades. Without enough sleep, your memory and ability to learn suffer, which means it’s harder to focus, and your grades can drop. Even motor tasks decrease according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, which are vital to students who do hands-on exams, such as a hands-on lab exam or a handwritten essay. Not only does it affect things such as your performance, but you are also more likely to get sick, with Mayo Clinic stating, “Studies show that people who don’t get quality sleep or enough sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus, such as a common cold virus. Lack of sleep can also affect how fast you get better if you do get sick.” This not only further affects your sleep but also other areas, such as eating, exercising, and more, that are vital to successful study habits. 

There are a couple of tips to avoid this, such as the Mayo Clinic suggesting avoiding caffeine late in the day, setting a sleep schedule for weekends, limiting screen time at night, and even Texas A&M suggesting power naps and 7-8 hours of sleep. 

Finals season is stressful enough, even if you sleep well. Although it can be tempting to pull all-nighters or cram until the last minute, rest is what helps you retain what you study and perform your best. So, as you prepare for finals, remember that sometimes after a long day of studying, sleep might be your best solution.  

Annika Wooten

TAMU '28

Annika Wooten is a member of the Events committee. She helps plan and host events, study dates, socials and, of course, participates in them. Beyond Her Campus, Annika is a business major on the marketing track. She is also involved in IBA (International Business Association), which is a global business program focused on helping involve study-abroad students and educating domestic students on the benefits and possibilities of foreign education in all sorts of countries through professors' and students' experiences. She was also involved in FALL, a freshman leadership program (aka FLO), in the first semester and was part of the social committee, which helped her to become familiar with planning, hosting, and budgeting different events. In her free time, Annika enjoys cooking all sorts of dishes, painting, baking, sculpting, and doing various things with her friends, whether it be Friendsgiving, Galentines, movie nights, or so much more. Some fun facts about her include that she is a level one certified florist and loves making arrangements, that she is learning Japanese to study abroad one day, that she lived near a river, so she grew up swimming and camping, and that her dream pet is either a ferret or a bunny.