Finals week is hastily approaching, and is most often accompanied by a sleep-deprived week of caffeine and Adderall binges. The work that some students are expected to complete in the last couple weeks is arguably impossible to finish with a healthy amount of sleep; however, abusing these substances to pull an all-nighter can take a harmful toll on your body, and may not be worth it in the end.
Sleep deprivation, surprisingly, is the finals week symptom that is likely to have most harmful short-term effects, especially when it comes to taking your tests. Eight to nine hours is ideal for a properly-functioning mind and body, but getting anything less than five hours of uninterrupted sleep can cause memory loss, inability to concentrate, irritability, slow reaction time, immunity reduction, hypertension, and much, much more. If you know you’re going to have a heavy workload during finals week, get started as early as possible to avoid sleep deprivation and, therefore, poor test results.
Binging on caffeine is the method most commonly used to battle the lack of sleep. What students don’t realize, however, is that it does a lot more to your body than prevent you from nodding off. Using caffeine to help you stay awake at night can prevent you from getting the full effects of the few hours of sleep you do get. It can also cause dehydration, headaches, stomachaches, nervousness, anxiety, and irritability. These negative side effects will surely affect your ability to take an exam and can be avoided by not procrastinating, and waking up early instead of staying up late.
Two popularly abused “study drugs” are Adderall and Ritalin. Considering that they are prescribed to many students who have ADD and ADHD, they may seem pretty harmless. The truth is that when abused by someone who is not prescribed the drug, it can have many negative effects on their mental and physical health. Some common side effects include nausea, nervousness, agitation, anxiety, insomnia, weight loss, headaches, dizziness, heart palpitations, and sexual dysfunction. When abused for a long period of time, it can even lead to addiction and/or depression. Another thing to keep in mind is that buying from, or selling to, your friends is a felony and can lead to jail time, fines, and a criminal record.
Alternatively, if you get enough sleep each night, eat a balanced diet, and consume a small amount caffeine just in the morning, you won’t feel like you need Adderall to help you get your work done. There are also a variety of non-prescription supplements that can help you concentrate on your studies. Look into it and avoid harming yourself just to get a good grade. In the end, it will be worth it.