'The Sleep Deprivation Effect'

Pre-College Topics High School Life
1

<p>I usually end up approaching major, consequential effects in my life verrrry ill-prepared. As a high school student, this kind of usually means the day of the SAT or AP week(s) or Awards night or Class Elections. </p>

<p>For example, the night before my SAT’s, I had an all night Lord of the Rings marathon with my sibs, coupled with feverish packing cause I had a flight to catch (for India…for a month) a couple hours after the test. And although I hated to walk into the testing room groggy and frantic about leaving the country that day, I ended up sitting down and taking an important test that had the potential to decide my future (dramatic lol). I thought I’d get a 1000. </p>

<p>I don’t even remember taking the test…I was SO out of it. I got a 2210, which I realize is quite average by CC standards, but also pretty good despite the circumstances and lack of preparation. I plan to retake the SAT’s this October (after studying this summer and a good nights sleep!) but… I feel like I would lose what I have come to regard as the ‘Sleep Deprivation Effect.’</p>

<p>The SAT’s is only one example of where I’ve managed to just pull success even when the situation is downright horrible: I’m sleep deprived, crazed, hungry, and ready to pass out. It’s not only me - but also my sister, a few friends, and countless others, who manage to do amazing things even while half conscious.</p>

<p>In fact, I’ve realized that in most occasions where I’ve succeeded or accomplished something…or done something I’m proud of, I was usually in such a state. Which brings me to the main point of this whole post: I’m afraid to study and be ‘normally’ prepared for things now because I feel like it would ruin my mojo. I’ve always done things this way - and it’s gotten me this far, right? It works for me, so I feel like doing things differently will throw me off. Its a superstitious sort of thing.</p>

<p>And you can’t deny it…people do the most amazing things when they’re not fully awake. My theory is that people tend to let their mental juices flow more naturally because they’re not consciously trying to divert them some way or another. And thus sleep deprivation results in some pretty amazing end products. </p>

<p>I’m sure a lot of you have experienced this kind of thing… thoughts?</p>

2

<p>This happens to me too. I become more creative when I’m more sleep deprived. Though, there’s a point when things start to go downhill. It’s sort of like the [Ballmer</a> Peak](<a href=“http://xkcd.com/323/]Ballmer”>xkcd: Ballmer Peak).</p>

3

<p>Haha wow that’s very interesting. For me, I’m more social when I’m tired LOL
I’ve never taken a test when I’m tired. Hm…looks like I’m going to do an experiment on this…with my practice SAT tests that is haha…Can’t jeopardize my real tests lol</p>

4

<p>Sleep deprivation is like a mind-altering drug.</p>

5

<p>I totally get that. I write my best essays, poems, stories, etc. between 12 and 1:30. I get this weird adrenaline/cold shivery feeling. I figure I do better under pressure? B/c at that point you can’t really procrastinate anymore.</p>

6

<p>I also can’t write anything of quality until the wee hours of the night. I prefer sleep deprivation then the stimulation of caffeine before a test.</p>

7

<p>did you just say you got a 2210 with no sleep and say that was bad? like honestly, get the **** out.</p>

8

<p>This happened to me before my AP Human Geo. exam. I was pretty out of it, though the exam went fine.</p>

9

<p>When I’m sleep deprived, I can’t do anything right. At all.</p>

10

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<p>I have personally experienced the Ballmer Peak on many occasions, and I can attest to its super-naturalism…</p>

<p>I can also attest to the massive headaches that occur after taking it too far…</p>

11

<p>Fever and less than 1/2 a page essay got 2280. 800 Math, 790 Reading, 690 Writing (8 on essay and 2 MC wrong). Average before was like 2070 LOL</p>

12

<p>daughter went into ACT in April with a high fever, bacterial throat infection and no sleep…went up 5 points from practice tests…</p>

<p>I think when you are soooo concerned about your health, you go in with a much more relaxed perspective…</p>

13

<p>i am the complete opposite. when i am sleep deprived my brain stops functioning completely. I might spew out a few creative lines of sentences here and there, but usually the paper or essay, after i have awoken up from my sleepless deliriousness, reads like a very sad joke. </p>

<p>i think its good when i go to bed, and i feel satisfied when i’m done but that changes after i have a cup of jo and actually proof read the mechanics of the essay. </p>

<p>In terms of my work in science or math, i will usually do everything right overall but i will forget to do something really simple like adding or canceling variables or something</p>

14

<p>@OP</p>

<p>I think I get what you’re saying. For instance, I had a Pre-calc exam on the same day that I had the AP Lang + Comp Exam. Although I only got like 5 hours of sleep, I think I did pretty good on both exams. </p>

<p>Surprisingly, I got an A on the Pre-calc exam. I was a bit scared when my teacher first told us that the test average was pretty low for an honors class (70%). </p>

<p>As for the English exam, I felt as if I had a lot to write about on each free response question. It didn’t seem hard to get my ideas down on paper. </p>

<p>Aside from that, I tend to mis-read questions when I’m deprived of sleep. I guess it’s more of a double-edged sword for me.</p>