The pros and cons of pulling an all-nighter

We’ve all heard it before, “Sleep, good grades, social life — pick any two.” 

When we choose the last two options, good grades and a social life, late nights and all-nighters accompany our decision. The thought of working through dawn can be a scary and stressful idea, but there comes a certain point in the night when you have to either tough it out and finish your work or get a few hours of sleep. Before you decide on the all-nighter, there are several factors to consider.

The most important question: Do you have an exam tomorrow (tomorrow being the day that starts at midnight during your all-nighter)? 

If the answer is “yes,” you should probably hit the sheets. Studies have shown that sleeping helps us process, store and retain what we learn, according to the Department of Psychiatry of Harvard Medical School.  

After learning certain tasks, participants in the study performed their tasks better after more sleep rather than after more wakeful practice. Basically, people performed better after getting some sleep and starting fresh. 

So, if you’re cramming for an exam, get some sleep — even if it’s only a few hours, you’ll at least retain some of what you crammed, as opposed to staying up all night trying to learn everything and remembering nothing. 

Sleep deprivation also affects your concentration and “working memory,” according to researchers at the University of Turku in Finland. 

Now, the argument could be made that, on account of this “sleep-processes-information” revelation, one should never pull an all-nighter at all. A student will lose or waste all the work and studying done during the night because of lack of sleep, which brings me to my next point.

What does your schedule for tomorrow look like? Do you go 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. without any breaks, or does your schedule allow room for napping? When your exhaustion hits you like a brick wall, you’ll be incapacitated. That’s when a nap will come in handy. 

Naps of approximately 90 minutes will give the greatest boost in energy, according to Helpguide.org, because your body will awake off a full sleep cycle. At this point, your body and brain will be “close to wakefulness.” 

If during the night you find yourself falling asleep while sitting straight up in your chair, 10-20 minute naps will give you a boost of energy and heighten your alertness for two to two and a half hours, according to a 2013 article in the Wall Street Journal. Then, get some work done without constantly thinking of sleep.

If your long day leaves no time for a nap until 5 p.m. without skipping a class, you should avoid pulling an all-nighter. Napping late in the afternoon or falling into a deep sleep — napping more than 20 minutes and less than 90 can put you at risk for a deep sleep — can throw off your circadian rhythm and prevent you from falling asleep later that night. Whenever possible, save some of your work or studying for a night when you can savor time for a nap the next day. For tonight, just focus on your high-priority assignments.

Sometimes, you can’t afford to be so picky about when you pull an all-nighter. 

If you must stay up all night, but have a long day tomorrow, caffeine can certainly help. Caffeine blocks the chemical adenosine, which binds to adenosine receptors in the brain. Adenosine causes you to get drowsy and sleepy, and inhibiting it helps you to fight off fatigue and sluggishness. 

CVS and Rite Aid sell ginseng and vitamin B12 supplements, which can also give you a surge of energy, but it’s important to do your own research and maybe even talk with your doctor or pharmacist before taking them. Some people may have sensitivities to these supplements, you can take too many, even though they are sold over the counter. 

According to Livestrong.com, ginseng helps to prevent adrenal fatigue. This is especially important because the adrenal gland regulates hormone function that handles all types of stress: physical, emotional and physiological. 

Excessive stress can cause adrenal fatigue. It makes sense — if you’re always stressed, and your body is trying to keep up production of this hormone, it’s bound to fall a bit behind in production. Additionally, if you’re pulling an all-nighter, it’s probably safe to say you’re at least a little bit stressed.

Again, according to Webmd.com, vitamin B12 has been proven to give energy boosts, but there is no evidence that those who already ingest sufficient amounts of the vitamin receive the same energy boost. I think that vitamin B12 works better than ginseng, but, then again, maybe I’m not getting enough naturally.

If you pull an all-nighter, here are a few things to keep in mind. Pretty much everyone’s been there. We’ve all felt the pain of heavy eyelids and a throbbing headache from lack of sleep. 

As much as you might feel like death, you’re not dying, and you’ll get through it. Plus, if you pull an all-nighter somewhere like Hillman Library, you’ll realize you’re far from alone in your all-nighter struggles. And, of course, there’s the underrated perk of getting to watch the sun rise behind Cathy.  

Anna Tomani primarily writes about college and social issues for The Pitt News.

Write to Anna at aet29@pitt.edu.