We will all probably encounter sleep deprivation at some point in our lives. Teenagers on average get about 7 to 7 and-a-half hours of sleep, but for their brains to fully function need exactly 9 and-a-quarter hours of sleep. A study at A&M College of Medicine has shown that your brain loses efficiency with each hour that it is deprived of sleep. So, if you stay up all night, missing out on the recommended amount of sleep, your brain will be equally as weary—rendering a sharp decrease in performance for specific learning and memory tasks.

By trying to cram a chapter worth of notes into one night, our brain use short-term memory. This memory type extinguishes rapidly, and if the information is not used within the first few hours the material disappears. Studying in small increments, well in advance of an exam, is your best bet to achieve a good score. In other words, use it or you’ll lose it. The optimal study method is to stay on top of things and prepare by studying in small chunks (20 to 30 minutes), multiple times per day, three to four days in advance of the test. By going through information numerous times, you’re allowing your brain to move those facts to long-term memory for better recall.

As the day wears on, the brain also becomes wearier. Our cognitive performance is controlled by our body clocks, and performance for learning and memory is higher during the morning and day, not late at night. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with the tasks in front of you, especially since there are only so many hours in a day to achieve our goals. Our society thinks in sound bites, we believe we can comprehend information at the last minute, which is unwise. Establishing good habits early on is the key to success.