7 ms·

1. Get good sleep. Your brain power is most affected by a lack of sleep. Poor and insufficient sleep impairs learning, memory, and attention. https://healthysl

by robg 5y ago

1. Get good sleep. Your brain power is most affected by a lack of sleep. Poor and insufficient sleep impairs learning, memory, and attention. https://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/benefits-of-sleep/learning-memory https://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/benefit...

mettamage 5y ago
This. I can't sleep well, trying to do everything in my power to make sure I get enough. Whenever I'm well-rested for a week or so, I'm smart. Whenever I'm ill-rested for a week or so, I'm only capable of basic functioning.
- DiffEq 5y ago
  BioTest Z-12, except I take one, not the 2 or 3 they recommend. It it worth 10x its weight in gold.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - markus_zhang 5y ago
    I found this: https://www.reddit.com/r/quittingphenibut/comments/d8vazr/z12_sleep_supplement_is_phenibut/ https://www.reddit.com/r/quittingphenibut/comments/d8vazr/z1... Not sure what it means though, but I would caution.
    - DiffEq 5y ago
      I have been using this for years. I have never had the negative experiences that these people on the Reddit forum ascribe to it.
- larrywright 5y ago
  The thing that has made the biggest difference in terms of sleep quality was adding a magnesium supplement to my nutrition routine. It was an immediate change for the better and it’s held for years now.
  - boppo 5y ago
    Chelated? Mg/lb?
    - infecto 5y ago
      For me Chelated, specifically doctors best brand. Perhaps better but when I looked into it last this was one of the best ways for deep sleep. Other types of magnesium do not work the same and can cause more GI issues IIRC.
    - larrywright 5y ago
      Magnesium Glycinate, chelated. I use the Doctor’s Best brand, available on Amazon[1] [1] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BD0RT0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_AKJCRPJAS7AZV1E7AJ5B https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BD0RT0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm...
- playpause 5y ago
  > I can't sleep well, trying to do everything in my power to make sure I get enough. Just a word of warning, I've experienced this becoming a bit of an obsession. I was losing sleep over not getting enough sleep. I'd bring the subject of sleep up in conversation a few times a week, making it almost part of my 'identity' that I was a bad sleeper, and I'm convinced this made it worse. For anyone who thinks they might have the same problem, my unqualified anecdotal advice would be: Don't tell people you're a bad sleeper, even if you are. Generally don't talk about it too much. Do define some sensible rules (e.g. consistent wake-up time, no snooze, etc) and follow them blindly for a month - don't allow yourself to review or change these rules for at least a month, or you'll be thinking about sleep too often. If you have a sleep monitoring device, definitely don't look at the data more than once a month.
markus_zhang 5y ago
Most people don't have this luxury. Sad.
- silicon2401 5y ago
  A lot of people have the luxury, they just lack the willpower. I used to stay up until 2am and wake up at 7am thinking I had more time for stuff. Now I try to get 7h minimum every single day and every day feels twice as productive as when I'm low on sleep, despite having fewer hours in the day.
cdiamand 5y ago
If you live in a bright-at-night, or noisy environment, you may wish to consider blackout curtains. We recently bought a set and it has been a revelation. Darker, quieter room. Better sleep.
- nsomaru 5y ago
  I've found shifting my day works really well. Instead of sleeping at 11/12pm and waking up at 6/7am, sleep at 9pm-ish and be up by 4:30am. It's usually still dark, it's extremely quiet and perfect for study! Pro tip: a nap in the afternoon really recharges the batteries for another work session.
Quikinterp 5y ago
I've anecedotedly studied how much sleep is the most efficient before writing an exam, throughout the many I've taken at university. This is a bit different than long term rentention though, as my hypothesis was basically "if you think you're screwed for an exam, what's the optimal crammed studying/sleep ratio the night before?" 1. All nighter is never worth it no matter how little material you think you know. 2. If you're semi confident in the exam, prioritize getting a full sleep over a little sleep. 3. If you're not confident in the exam, definitely still aim for at least 5-6 hours of sleep. That's what I've noticed when it comes down to cram studying, otherwise my performance goes out the window.
- foobarian 5y ago
  In my experience it gets more complicated depending on the days leading up to the event. Given good sleep for a good stretch of days up to the day before the exam, all-nighter can work out fine. But I guess there is a correlation between lack of discipline to get good sleep and not studying regularly so I can see that being a rare situation :-)
  - watwut 5y ago
    I think all nighters are bad idea, because my college mates who done them had ... less then smart answers to even simple questions. They were smart, as people. But not sleeping whole night makes you dumb. And they inability to figure what was not memorized harmed their performance a lot.
  - Quikinterp 5y ago
    Yeah this would make sense. I still do think all nighters would probably harm your memory retention even if you do it a couple days before the exam. I'd imagine the brain has more time to really process what you're studying if you sleep after doing so.
  - sidibe 5y ago
    I always felt worse two days after all nighters than the day after. I feel like the next day isn't necessarily when you pay, once the morning comes around again you get a second wind
mabbo 5y ago
Before any exam, I had a simple rule: I don't study after 6pm the night before. Instead, I get a good book, or a movie I've been looking forward to, and I veg out and relax. This always lead to a good night's sleep and a better exam result than if I'd stayed up late studying instead, hoping to learn just one more thing- that I would never remember due to lack of good sleep anyway.

by robg 5y ago

mettamage 5y ago

This. I can't sleep well, trying to do everything in my power to make sure I get enough. Whenever I'm well-rested for a week or so, I'm smart. Whenever I'm ill-rested for a week or so, I'm only capable of basic functioning.

DiffEq 5y ago
BioTest Z-12, except I take one, not the 2 or 3 they recommend. It it worth 10x its weight in gold.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- markus_zhang 5y ago
  I found this: https://www.reddit.com/r/quittingphenibut/comments/d8vazr/z12_sleep_supplement_is_phenibut/ https://www.reddit.com/r/quittingphenibut/comments/d8vazr/z1... Not sure what it means though, but I would caution.
  - DiffEq 5y ago
    I have been using this for years. I have never had the negative experiences that these people on the Reddit forum ascribe to it.
larrywright 5y ago
The thing that has made the biggest difference in terms of sleep quality was adding a magnesium supplement to my nutrition routine. It was an immediate change for the better and it’s held for years now.
- boppo 5y ago
  Chelated? Mg/lb?
  - infecto 5y ago
    For me Chelated, specifically doctors best brand. Perhaps better but when I looked into it last this was one of the best ways for deep sleep. Other types of magnesium do not work the same and can cause more GI issues IIRC.
  - larrywright 5y ago
    Magnesium Glycinate, chelated. I use the Doctor’s Best brand, available on Amazon[1] [1] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BD0RT0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_AKJCRPJAS7AZV1E7AJ5B https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BD0RT0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm...
playpause 5y ago
> I can't sleep well, trying to do everything in my power to make sure I get enough. Just a word of warning, I've experienced this becoming a bit of an obsession. I was losing sleep over not getting enough sleep. I'd bring the subject of sleep up in conversation a few times a week, making it almost part of my 'identity' that I was a bad sleeper, and I'm convinced this made it worse. For anyone who thinks they might have the same problem, my unqualified anecdotal advice would be: Don't tell people you're a bad sleeper, even if you are. Generally don't talk about it too much. Do define some sensible rules (e.g. consistent wake-up time, no snooze, etc) and follow them blindly for a month - don't allow yourself to review or change these rules for at least a month, or you'll be thinking about sleep too often. If you have a sleep monitoring device, definitely don't look at the data more than once a month.

markus_zhang 5y ago

Most people don't have this luxury. Sad.

silicon2401 5y ago
A lot of people have the luxury, they just lack the willpower. I used to stay up until 2am and wake up at 7am thinking I had more time for stuff. Now I try to get 7h minimum every single day and every day feels twice as productive as when I'm low on sleep, despite having fewer hours in the day.

cdiamand 5y ago

If you live in a bright-at-night, or noisy environment, you may wish to consider blackout curtains. We recently bought a set and it has been a revelation. Darker, quieter room. Better sleep.

nsomaru 5y ago
I've found shifting my day works really well. Instead of sleeping at 11/12pm and waking up at 6/7am, sleep at 9pm-ish and be up by 4:30am. It's usually still dark, it's extremely quiet and perfect for study! Pro tip: a nap in the afternoon really recharges the batteries for another work session.

Quikinterp 5y ago

I've anecedotedly studied how much sleep is the most efficient before writing an exam, throughout the many I've taken at university. This is a bit different than long term rentention though, as my hypothesis was basically "if you think you're screwed for an exam, what's the optimal crammed studying/sleep ratio the night before?" 1. All nighter is never worth it no matter how little material you think you know. 2. If you're semi confident in the exam, prioritize getting a full sleep over a little sleep. 3. If you're not confident in the exam, definitely still aim for at least 5-6 hours of sleep. That's what I've noticed when it comes down to cram studying, otherwise my performance goes out the window.

foobarian 5y ago
In my experience it gets more complicated depending on the days leading up to the event. Given good sleep for a good stretch of days up to the day before the exam, all-nighter can work out fine. But I guess there is a correlation between lack of discipline to get good sleep and not studying regularly so I can see that being a rare situation :-)
- watwut 5y ago
  I think all nighters are bad idea, because my college mates who done them had ... less then smart answers to even simple questions. They were smart, as people. But not sleeping whole night makes you dumb. And they inability to figure what was not memorized harmed their performance a lot.
- Quikinterp 5y ago
  Yeah this would make sense. I still do think all nighters would probably harm your memory retention even if you do it a couple days before the exam. I'd imagine the brain has more time to really process what you're studying if you sleep after doing so.
- sidibe 5y ago
  I always felt worse two days after all nighters than the day after. I feel like the next day isn't necessarily when you pay, once the morning comes around again you get a second wind

mabbo 5y ago

Before any exam, I had a simple rule: I don't study after 6pm the night before. Instead, I get a good book, or a movie I've been looking forward to, and I veg out and relax. This always lead to a good night's sleep and a better exam result than if I'd stayed up late studying instead, hoping to learn just one more thing- that I would never remember due to lack of good sleep anyway.