MINNEAPOLIS - Now that the kids are back in school, be sure to put a premium on a good night's sleep because a new study shows cramming for exam is counterproductive.
The study, in the journal Child Development, found overall that teens who sacrificed sleep to study did worse academically the next day than those who were well rested.
Dr. Conrad Iber, medical director of Fairview's Sleep Medicine Program said sleep is crucial for learning. He said when you sleep, the brain reinforces important information. Going without sleep hurts that process.
Iber said it, "Doesn't work very well. The brain is sort of like a computer. It's got a hundred billion cells in it and trillions of little connections and that computer, biological computer, doesn't work very well when it's not allowed to reboot."
Iber said it's important to make sure teens plan their review time for a test, pace themselves and put a premium on a good night's sleep.
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