Studying at Night is Best

Question

Discover the benefits and best practices of studying at night to maximize learning and retention.

Comments

Studying at night may benefit some, but there is no proven evidence that it is better. Research actually proves the opposite, as your brain processes information better when you are asleep.

Source: https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2013/04/sleep-it#:~:text=When%20you%20learn%20something%20new,new%20memories%20to%20earlier%20ones.

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The article they provided to support their claim is a great source as it pointed out the pros and cons to study at night. For majority of people, at night it's quieter and have little to no distraction which can better help there learning since it is an environment created that best suits them. Even though at night a person should rest, depending on a person's lifestyle they can make arrangements to their sleep schedule however they want. This article pointed out the benefits, challenges, and practices to properly and safely study for any night owls. Information was straightforward and clear how they wanted to deliver the claim.

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Great comment. You make some valid points, especially that nighttime is more peaceful and an easier environment to focus in. If you add a source, it will further validate your response.

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As someone who tends to study only at night, I have tended to feel unsure of this study schedule because of Studying at night. I will say that this argument can go both ways for negative as well as positive effects of studying at night rather than night.
Studying at night offers several advantages that can enhance learning and retention for many individuals. The Scholarly Blog highlights benefits such as increased focus due to fewer distractions, a quieter environment, and enhanced memory consolidation when studying before sleep.
https://scholarly.so/blog/why-studying-at-night-is-best
This article explains how being a the right setting can shift your mental focus to a more productive environment.
While studying at night can offer benefits such as reduced distractions and a quieter environment, it's crucial to consider the potential drawbacks, particularly concerning sleep quality and cognitive performance. Research from the University of Pennsylvania's Chronobiology and Sleep Institute indicates that staying up all night to study can negatively impact grades. The study found that reduced sleep during the semester correlated with lower test scores, emphasizing the importance of adequate rest for optimal academic performance.
https://www.med.upenn.edu/csi/the-impact-of-sleep-on-learning-and-memory.html?
The article seemed to be a more reliable source noting how it was published by  Perelem School of Medicine.  The article does not ignore the pros of Studying at Night but also takes into consideration factual evidence such as how the students at the university found that "reduced sleep during the semester correlated with lower test scores, emphasizing the importance of adequate rest for optimal academic performance".

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This is a good take on the pros and cons of studying at night! I like how you take note of both perspectives, highlighting the benefits while also considering the impact on sleep and academic performance. Your use of credible sources adds good details to the discussion, making it a thoughtful and informative read. Great job!

Answer 1

The claim of “studying at night is best” is too vague of a statement and is very opinion and experience based. With that being said, I believe studying at night isn’t completely beneficial. According to the London School of Business and Finance, they referenced that many sources point to the fact that humans have their peak critical thinking and analytical skills between 2pm and 5pm (Scott 4). However, they don’t necessarily say studying at night is bad. They mention that staying hydrated and sitting cross-legged on the floor are good study tips, but something that struck me is that they suggest drinking warm fluids, like warm coffee to boost energy and stay awake. To me, that seems unnecessary. From personal experience, I don’t get efficient work done while tired, and I feel forcing one’s self to stay awake from the help of caffeine isn’t good for the brain to process information as good as studying in the early to late afternoon. When it’s all said and done, an individual should continue to study with whatever tactics they think are necessary, and whenever they want. This claim can have evidence for both ways, but it’s not fair to say studying at night is the “best.”

Source: https://www.lsbf.edu.sg/blog/motivation-and-inspiration/what-is-the-best-time-for-studying-day-or-night#

Comments

Good fact-check! I too agree that "studying at night is best" is too vague. It's good that you referenced another source here. However I think this fact-check could benefit a bit more from some analysis of the original source.

Answer 2

It is far too broad to say that "studying at night is best" because it depends on personal preferences. According to chronotype research, morning people often do better early in the day, while night owls perform better at night because they are more alert (Preckel et al., 2011), and since sleep assists in integrating learning into long-term memory, night study sessions can help with memory retention if they are followed by restful sleep (Rasch & Born, 2013). But if studying at night results in sleep deprivation, which decreases concentration, memory, and judgment, then the advantages of studying at night are countered.   While some people find that studying at night is effective, it's not always the "best" option and is dependent on individual habits and sleep quality.

https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1699553/FULLTEXT01.pdf 

https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ938525 

https://www.oxfordlearning.com/best-time-day-to-study/

Comments

You did a good job at finding some middle ground here. You've recognized that using the statement "studying at night is best" is just simply not always true. You backed this up with multiple sources and cited them. I do think that this fact-check could benefit from some analysis of the original scholarly.so source, but overall this is a good fact-check, and you helped to ground this subject in some reliable evidence.

Answer 3

This source brings up some good points but isn't reliable enough to use as evidence for this claim. The source mentions that a lot of studies have been done on this subject and brings up their findings but fails to mention what the studies were nor cite them. However, after searching for other sources on this topic, I found an article by USA Today that did support this claim. This article discusses a study by the University of Nevada-Reno and cites it. The study finds that students effectively retain more information between 11:00 am and 9:00 pm. This implies that taking early morning classes isn't good and that late afternoon studying is more effective. So while the claim that "studying at night is best" isn't at all baseless, this claim should be backed up with more solid evidence like for example this USA Today article.

Here is the USA Today article:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/college/2017/04/13/studying-at-night-youre-doing-it-right/37430687/

And here is a BBC Article with a different perspective:

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180815-why-sleep-should-be-every-students-priority

Answer 4

This claim is neither true or false. The claim that studying at night is better than studying during the day is purely based on personal preference. While scholars, the article claiming this, does not provide any sources or citations, from doing outside research from the London School of Business and Finance, it is found that depending on who you are "your learning abilities, like memory, alertness, or critical thinking skills, can be at different levels at different times of the day...therefore, making a study timetable conducive to your studies largely depends on your syllabus’ nature".  

Source: https://www.lsbf.edu.sg/blog/motivation-and-inspiration/what-is-the-best-time-for-studying-day-or-night

Answer 5

Studying at night may benefit some. Research proves there is no proven enhancer to your ability to study effectively during nighttime; if anything, the opposite is that your brain retains information better as you sleep.

Source:https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2013/04/sleep-it#:~:text=When%20you%20learn%20something%20new,new%20memories%20to%20earlier%20ones.

Answer 6

Your statement of studying at night is the best seems subjective despite the use of your source. Your source does not provide solid scientific evidences or references to any research to back its claim. This research included in the National Institutes of Health Library states the negative association between test performance and inadequate sleep among college students. With the back of this experimental study, your claim seems to need more evidence to support. 

Answer 7

This claim is very broad and doesn't really explain what 'best' means in the context. Is it best for memory retention? Is it the optimal activity level time for the brain? Is it better for your sleep? Nevertheless, based on the articles listed below, there is technically no universally optimal time of the day to study at. The University of Nevada, Reno states that college students learn best from 11am to 9:30pm, which is a very broad timeframe. However, they also state that many college students benefit from afternoon and evening classes. News in Health also says that 'sleeping on' information can help with memory retention, so studying before bed is definitely helpful. There is no research that explicitly says studying at night is any better than studying at a different time in a day, though.

Sources:

https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2013/04/sleep-it#:~:text=When%20you%20learn%20something%20new,new%20memories%20to%20earlier%20ones

https://www.unr.edu/nevada-today/news/2017/best-time-of-day-to-study#:~:text=Students%20learn%20more%20effectively%20between,encouraging%20evening%20and%20online%20courses&text=New%20University%20research%20study%20used,learning%20for%20college%2Dage%20students.

Answer 8

The claim of studying at night being the best time to study is really reflective of that person, however there are benefits to studying more at night. Based on the reasons given in the article it seems to be that people study better at night due to their own reasons. For example studying at night allows a quite calm environment, some people are night owls, and increases focus. However, during the day a person can go to a library or a calm study room in order to find a quiet area to study. It’s true that some people don’t do much during the day so the night could be an easier time for people to study. Along with that some people may have more energy at night resulting in an easier opportunity for them to study. These reasons also depend on the person as well. Studying at night is really a preference, the only beneficial reason I found was that studying before a person sleeps helps them remember the information better. Studying during the day allows for a person's sleep schedule to not be disrupted and natural light keeps a person alert. Often when people study at night they cram information or work. There are definitely positives and negatives of each studying time frame, but there is no substantial evidence that implies day or night studying reigns supreme over the other. When studying at night a person saves things for the last minute, but studying during the day allows people to potentially get ahead on work. Again either way it doesn’t matter what time a person studies, as long as it positively benefits that person and they get something done.

https://www.lsbf.edu.sg/blog/motivation-and-inspiration/what-is-the-best-time-for-studying-day-or-night/#:~:text=If%20you%20tend%20to%20have,you%20live%20with%20your%20family. 

https://www.oxfordlearning.com/best-time-day-to-study/ 

Answer 9

Although the blog from Scholarly did not provide any of its sources, I found similar arguments from Oxford Learning. Oxford Learning agrees with the points that Scholarly makes about the pros regarding studying at night, it also adds the pros of daytime studying as well. Although it does seem like studying at night is effective, it is not the "best." As Oxford Learning puts it, "We each have our most productive time of day, when we have the most energy [to study]."

https://www.oxfordlearning.com/best-time-day-to-study/

Answer 10

The claim that studying at night is best depends on what each individual wants. Nighttime study offers less distractions and may improve memory, but on the other hand it can also lead to sleep deprivation. Research suggests the brain is most alert between 10 AM–2 PM and 4 PM–10 PM, making daytime study effective for some. The best study time varies, so finding the balance between studying and rest is very important. (LSBF, Scholarly, Good Tutors Finder)