By Ming Yu Ou '26, Eugenia Liu '26
As high school students, we all have those weeks where we are hit by waves of tests all at once (just like this week for SAS sophomore students). How many students decided to pull an all-nighter right before their tests? How many students decide to skip a meal to use the time to study? Food and sleep are important factors that affects brain activity, which is directly correlated to one’s test performance. As APUSH students, we fully understand the urge to just skip a meal or use sleeping time to study before the DBQ; we are not here to give you a lecture on all the negative impacts of lacking sleep or food. We are here to suggest a new way to approach your exams.
Firstly, let’s look at some statistics from SAS sophomores during a stressful week of math L4s and APUSH tests to paint a vivid image of our lives. From the data we collected, it can be seen that during a stressful week, students sleep a minimum of only 3 hours, and a maximum of 5 hours in total a night. Lilia Cai, a sophomore at SAS, said that she only “sleeps 3-4 hours per night, and always has an aching head”. There are also outliers like Elaine Chen, who sleep 10-12 hours a day and consume a lot of food. Different people have their way of dealing with a stressful week, but our survey shows that the average amount of sleep students get during a stressful week is not enough.
Participant | Hours slept per night during a stressful week (hrs) | Food consumption before a test |
1 | 3-4 | Less snacks, normal meal |
2 | 5-6 | Very little food |
3 | 4-5 | Eats less because of anxiety |
4 | 6-8 | Eat the same amount |
5 | 5-7 | Eats no food before a test |
6 | 5-7 | A lot of food consumption |
7 | 5-6 | Very little food |
8 | 10-12 | A lot of food consumption |
9 | 5-7 | More snacks, normal meal |
10 | 3-4 | Very little food |
11 | 4.5-5 | Not a lot of food, prefer little snacks |
12 | 5-7 | Very little food |
13 | 5-6 | Very little food (especially if the test is after lunch) |
14 | 7-9 | Normal meals |
15 | 3-4 | Doesn’t eat a lot |
So how many hours should we sleep? Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that “teenagers aged 13-18 years should sleep 8-10 hours per 24 hours.” To high school students, 8-10 hours is clearly unachievable. However, something we can control about our sleep routine is when we sleep, and when we wake up.
Waking up early is a strategic way to sleep enough and also be able to study your test. It also sets the tone for a successful day of academic achievement. According to SummaHealth, “people who wake earlier are far less likely to develop depression, anxiety or other mood disorders.” This is correlated to the amount of daylight you receive in the day. The access to daylight can be an automatic mood booster. By starting your day strong with a clear mind, focusing on studying for your test wouldn’t be that hard. The early morning serenity creates a concentrated learning environment. It enables deep learning and memory activities. Starting the day early also gives you a head start to sit down and review your test, enabling a confident approach to your test.
Not only sleep, but food consumption also largely affects one’s performance during tests. This is not to say that eating a whole lot before a test can boost your test grade from its initial C to an A+. However, according to a research paper published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, “favourable” diets to an extent activates your brain and helps you maximize your performance during a test. Well, what are “favourable diets”? Favourable diets refers to healthy diets rich in nutrients, proteins, and vitamins. Examples of foods that contain such nutrients include nuts, which are rich in vitamin E, and eggs, which are rich in choline, and milk, which is rich in vitamin D. Increase in consumption of these food would largely help your brain function more smoothly, leading to an increase in your overall test performance. We are fully aware that forcing students to be eating a lot before a test is very uncomfortable for them, as they are affected by anxiety. Therefore, we propose eating more snacks composed of the “favourable foods” before your test, such as a nut pack, or a small bowl of salad, so that your brain is well-supplied with nutrients, and functions smoothly during your exam.
Overall, by waking up early with the combination of a nutritious breakfast, students can approach their test with a confident mindset. By prioritizing sufficient sleep and taking advantage of the peaceful morning hours alongside feeding your brain with healthy nutrients, students can set themselves up for success.
Senior Editor: Sophia Gong '26
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