What Is The Best Time To Study According To Your Peak Mental Productivity?
By Winnie Custodio
August 6, 2019 • Fact checked by Dumb Little Man
Are you preparing for a big exam? If so, part of your test prep is arranging a conducive schedule for studying. What is the best time to study? Is it during the day or at night?
This actually is a perennial question and numerous researches have been conducted about it. It’s day vs night when it comes to choosing the best time to study.
Well, there really is no certain answer pertaining to this from a scientific perspective. It’s actually subjective because of individual differences.
Every person has a different biological clock that determines their peak mental and intellectual productivity. You could either be a morning person or a night owl and your characteristic will dictate the best time to study for your exam.
The Morning Person Vs The Night Owl: What Are The Benefits?
What are the benefits of studying during the day and what are the perks of burning the midnight candle?
Advantages of daytime studying:
- You are more energetic.
- You’re moving along with the natural sequence of nature.
- You’re going along with the normal pace of your community.
- You can get together with your friends to study.
Advantages of studying at night:
- It’s more silent and peaceful.
- The libraries are empty.
- No worries about distractions.
- You are at peak creativity.
During the day, your energy levels are healthy, especially if you’ve had a good night’s sleep. You are also able to concentrate on your tasks such as reading your books and online study guide as well as taking practice tests.
When the sun is up, society is active and the night is for sleeping. This happens to be the norm.
Libraries are open and you can find time to have coffee with your chums. People, including your teachers and friends, can easily be contacted. You can conveniently communicate with them for your test prep needs.
Natural light is more pleasing to the eyes whereas artificial light is apt to hurt your eyes and that can affect the natural rhythm of your sleep.
If you prefer to study at night, you’ll enjoy peace and quiet, particularly as people are usually louder and the community is rather raucous during the day. In case you live near a library that’s open at night, you can have the place to yourself and you can focus on studying.
You need not fret about your siblings, friends or parents distracting you because they are asleep. Creativity burgeons at night mainly because perceptions are different during such time. You see concepts in altered ways.
Tips To Remember When Studying At Night
Here are some tips for night owls who prefer studying at night:
Adhere to a specific schedule. It’s a better option than studying sporadically. You ought to establish a fixed study schedule to condition your body clock. Consequently, you’ll be able to perform at your best for your test prep. Hitting your books or online study guide whenever and whatever during the day or night will have your body and mind going berserk! Instead, pick a strictly preset study schedule and stick to it.
Rest during the day. Test prepping at night doesn’t mean that you skip sleeping or do less of it. Your mind needs to be well-rested so that you can retain information effectively. See to it that you don’t neglect your need for sleep and you replenish it during the day.
Ensure that you have the proper lighting. You have to study comfortably and not hurt your eyes when your side of the world turns dark. Therefore, make sure that your room is properly lit when you’re digging your books or online study guide for information.
Create an established timetable. Studying at night can have you easily lose track of time. That’s why you have to establish a set time table and diligently follow it, including your break times. It may be tempting to watch TV or spend time on social media, but steer clear of distractions. Keep yourself focused on your studying, according to your schedule.
Listen to music. It will increase your creativity levels which tend to be more pronounced when it’s night time. Did you know that artists enjoy working at night? That’s mainly because it boosts their creative tendencies. So, if you can, listen to motivating and inspiring music or whatever genre you prefer when you’re studying at night.
What’s the best time to study? It depends on your biological clock. Study whenever you feel most alert, retentive, and in your element.
Winnie Custodio
Winnie Custodio has been a publicist and writer for over 10 years, and she has broad experience in online and personal mentoring. Working with Test Prep Toolkit, an online GED, ACT and SAT study guide has been one of her most fulfilling careers where she and her fellow TPT staff work together as a power team in helping thousands of test takers pass their exams. With such an outstanding achievement, Test Prep Toolkit has become one of the top test prep websit