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The Best Time to Study

My students very often ask me what time of the day is best for studying and memorizing. Of course, there is a definite answer but this answer again requires a checking of individual types. “Type”, however, refers here to sleep.

Type I: There are students who fall asleep immediately upon to bed and after the lapse of a very short time sleep reaches its soundest depth. Towards morning it becomes lighter; they wake up instantly and there is no longer drawn out transition between sleep and full awakening. The depth of their sleep is easily tested by the fact that noises do not disturb them.

Type II: At night he needs a long while to fall asleep and during the first hours his sleep is so light that the slightest noise wakes him up. During the morning hours, however, his sleep is deep and the transition from sleep to awakening takes quite some time.

Generally speaking and admitting occasional exceptions, we may say that exceptions, we may say that event sleeper (the first type I mentioned) learns and memories best in the morning. At that time his senses are at the height of their efficiency and his brain cells are wide open for new impressions. The contrast of course holds true for the morning sleeper. He feels more or less drowsy during the morning hours and reaches the height of his capacity towards noon or even during the afternoon. Naturally for the evening hours are the best times for learning difficult material.

Of course, there are other factors which enter into picture. What is your mental capacity and how much mental work must you accomplish during the day? If we think of two students with equal mental capacities the student who has to deal with difficult problems all day long will be less receptive to new impressions in the evening than his counterpart whose daytime work is accomplished in a more or less mechanical way.

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