How Sleep Deprivation Affects Your Memory and Some Studying Tips 

By Dipti Rajbongshi, 2025

Published 03/29/2023

It’s the third quarter and by now we are all used to our daily life as high schoolers, whether it be freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors. As the end of the year is nearing, the load of homework is increasing and AP exams are coming up soon. With many student-athletes and other students trying to balance school and extracurriculars, it becomes hard to manage your schedule. Often, you may need to stay up late to complete your homework that’s already due the next day. 

Sleep deprivation is a serious matter and can drastically affect your memory. You probably have stayed up studying past your bedtime hours to prepare for a test the next day, but this can actually reduce your chances of getting the best grade possible. According to biologists at UPenn, 5 hours of sleep deprivation leads to a loss of connectivity between neurons in the hippocampus, a region of the brain associated with memory and learning. Taking naps can help retain important memories but sleep deprivation can lead to more serious problems. One of the studies on neurons found that the length and spine density of dendrites is significantly reduced after 5 hours of sleep deprivation. What they found most surprising was that these neuronal connections, especially between synapses, are restored with several hours of recovery sleep.

It is better to spread out your studying across a span of days instead of trying to cram it all in one night. Without a night of sleep, you may not be able to remember things well or retain focus. Sometimes, if you really need to catch up on work, you can try to take some things out of your schedule that you can make up for another day. If you really need to stay up, make sure to make up those hours during the weekend, 15-60 minute naps can help as well.