Academic Performance

Caffeine and academic performance

Oftentimes as students prepare for exams, they might find themselves not sleeping as much and using caffeine on exam day.

One study looked at whether this would help or not.

What was the study? (1)

  • Stepan and colleagues (1), had 276 participants do a  place keeping task (UNRAVEL) and a vigilant attention task (the Psychomotor Vigilance Task [PVT].
  • They were then randomly assigned to either stay awake overnight in the laboratory or sleep at home. (1)
  • In the morning, participants who slept returned to the lab, and all participants consumed a capsule that contained either 200 mg of caffeine or placebo (1).
  • After the caffeine absorption period, they had participants repeat those tasks.

What were the results? (1)

  • Investigators (1) found that caffeine helped both groups maintain attention; similar to other studies (2).
  • Caffeine DID NOT reduce place keeping errors in either group (1).

What does this mean? (1)

According to this study (1), if you are sleep deprived, caffeine may help you stay awake but may NOT help with academic performance.

What are some caveats?

  • Caffeine can also worsen anxiety for some people, which might not help with academic performance.
  • This is a small study and further study is needed to verify the results.
  • The benefit size may not be enough for everyone.
  • Individual results may vary.
  • 200mg caffeine may be too much for some people.
  • Getting adequate sleep may be a better strategy

What are some helpful strategies for sleep?

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests the following ways to improve sleep (3):

  • Keep a consistent sleep schedule.
  • Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends or during vacations.
  • Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy.
  • Other strategies:

What are some helpful resources for sleep?

By Ryan S Patel DO, FAPA

If you would like to be notified of a new post (usually once per month), please enter your email above.

Disclaimer: This article is intended to be informative only. It is advised that you check with your own physician/mental health provider before implementing any changes. With this article, the author is not rendering medical advice, nor diagnosing, prescribing, or treating any condition, or injury; and therefore claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or injury caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material presented.

References:

  1. Stepan ME, Altmann EM, Fenn KM. Caffeine selectively mitigates cognitive deficits caused by sleep deprivation. J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn. 2021 Sep;47(9):1371-1382. doi: 10.1037/xlm0001023. Epub 2021 May 20. PMID: 34014758.
  2. Killgore WDS, Kamimori GH. Multiple caffeine doses maintain vigilance, attention, complex motor sequence expression, and manual dexterity during 77 hours of total sleep deprivation. Neurobiol Sleep Circadian Rhythms. 2020 May 31;9:100051. doi: 10.1016/j.nbscr.2020.100051. PMID: 33364521; PMCID: PMC7752712.
  3. http://www.sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits
  4. Patel R. Mental Health For College Students

Strategies for finals and academic stress

As finals approach, many students find themselves increasingly stressed while trying to do their best academically.  In that situation, some students may find them selves doing things that inadvertently worsen their stress and academic performance.  For example, many students increase caffeine intake during finals but this might actually worsen attention (1,3).    Other students who do not have adhd might use study drugs, but this can also worsen attention (2,3).

So how can students take steps to finish strong academically?

Consider brief activity as breaks to improve focus: https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2022/04/22/brief-activity-vs-relaxation-breaks-for-energy/

Consider these other strategies to improve focus: https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2021/03/30/strategies-to-improve-attention/

Finally, take a look at this link to identify 5 things to increase, and 5 things to decrease for a successful end of semester: https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2021/03/30/strategies-to-improve-attention/

 

By R Ryan S Patel DO, FAPA

If you would like to be notified of a new post (usually once per month), please enter your email above.

Disclaimer: This article is intended to be informative only. It is advised that you check with your own physician/mental health provider before implementing any changes. With this article, the author is not rendering medical advice, nor diagnosing, prescribing, or treating any condition, or injury; and therefore claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or injury caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material presented.

References:

  1. https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2015/03/10/do-energy-drinks-help-or-hurt-your-attention/
  2. https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2023/06/30/smart-drugs-might-not-always-help-with-focus/
  3. Patel R. Mental Health For College Students  https://a.co/d/iXhbkAj

 

Strategies for a successful spring semester

By R. Ryan S Patel DO, FAPA OSU-CCS Psychiatrist

A new semester brings a new set of opportunities and challenges.  The spring semester also aligns with the winter weather, has fewer breaks, and stresses of graduations/internships, plans for the summer etc.

With this in mind, it is important for students to be proactive and prioritize strategies that can help them succeed.

Some health related activities should students INCREASE to improve chances of success include the following:

  1. Get enough sleep. Poor sleep impacts academics and mental health.  For resources to improve sleep, go here: https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2017/12/31/poor-sleep-and-poor-grades-might-go-together/
  1. Eat fruits and vegetables. This improves mental/emotional well-being:

https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2015/03/25/fruits-and-vegetables-might-increase-your-odds-of-mental-well-being/

Food strategies to improve/prevent depression, go here:

https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2018/06/28/food-choices-to-improve-depression/

  1. Get active. Regular exercise can help with mental and physical health.  Go to the RPAC, consider a rec league. Some students find it helpful to take an exercise or sports class  for course credit.
  2. Improve stress management: https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2017/09/01/dealing-with-too-much-stress/
  3. Have a plan. What if you are over scheduled? Are there classes or obligations you could adjust?  Try to plan breaks ahead of time both daily and if possible, weekend  mini-breaks/vacations ahead of time.  This will give you something positive to look forward to.
  4. Get social.  Spending time with others regularly can help with stress and mental health.  Consider  student organizations, regularly scheduled phone/video calls with your supports such as friends, family etc.
  5. Spend time on hobbies. Leisure activities help with stress and mental health.

Consider decreasing or eliminating the following activities:

  1. Too much caffeine worsens stress level and brain function:

https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2017/04/19/study-caffeine-stress-and-brain-function/

  1. Excessive digital media usage can worsen inattention symptoms:

https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2018/08/30/digital-media-and-inattention-symptoms/

  1. Reduce/avoid alcohol intake because it can impact your academic performance:

https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2018/02/26/alcohol-and-grades/

https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2017/06/21/study-alcohol-might-cause-brain-changes/

  1. Cannabis can negatively impact your brain:

https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2014/11/17/marijuana-4-hidden-costs-to-consider/

  1. Nicotine use can increase depression and anxiety:

https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2015/04/15/does-smoking-increase-anxiety-and-depression-if-i-quit-will-i-feel-better/

Additional resources if your functioning is limited by your mental health, or if you need additional help:

Check out our multiple options for mental health support page for additional resources.

Disclaimer: This article is intended to be informative only. It is advised that you check with your own physician/mental health provider before implementing any changes. With this article, the author is not rendering medical advice, nor diagnosing, prescribing, or treating any condition, or injury; and therefore claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or injury caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material presented.