Sleep deprivation can cause people to have false memories, according to astudy published in Psychological Science.
Researchers from the University of California-Irvine and Michigan State University conducted the study, according to Psychological Science.
Kimberly Fenn, co-author of the study and a Michigan State University associate professor of psychology, said false memory formation is becoming a serious risk, according to a Michigan State University release.
“We found memory distortion is greater after sleep deprivation and people are getting less sleep each night than they ever have,” she said.
Dr. Heather Kleider-Offutt, chair of Georgia State’s Cognitive Sciences Department of Psychology, said the study’s results are the reason why students should not cram for exams.
“Students who cram are more likely to become confused about what they read for their exam. They are more likely to think they read, saw or heard something they didn’t,” Offutt said.
There were 104 student volunteers enlisted and divided into four groups, according to the study. Two groups were shown photos of a man stealing a wallet. One went to sleep immediately after seeing the images and the other stayed awake all night.
The remaining two groups did the opposite; one slept and the other stayed awake before being shown the photos the following morning, according to the study.
The next part of the experiment required volunteers to read anecdotes contradicting the photographs, according to the study. For example, a statement said a thief put a stolen wallet in his pants pocket when the photograph showed him putting it in his jacket.
Results revealed students who stayed awake all night and then looked at the photos were prone to false memories. When they attempted to recall the images, they were more likely to name details of the anecdotes never present, according to the study.
Students who saw the photos prior to staying awake all night showed no greater likelihood of false memory than the ones in the groups that slept, according to the study.
A National Sleep Foundation survey revealed 43.7 percent of people age 18-25 saying they unintentionally fell asleep during the day, according to the Centers for Disease and Control (CDC). The survey also states 18-25 year-olds get less sleep than any other age range.
Kleider-Offutt said sufficient sleep is vital for student success in school.
“Students must remember what they study. Lack of sleep makes it difficult to remember accurately what they study and will reduce overall performance in class,” she said.
Georgia State student Erin Williams said staying up late to cram definitely affects her performance.
“If I’m tired, I won’t do well. So, I don’t do it anymore,” she said.
Williams also said although she would not like to suffer from false memory formation, she is intrigued by the phenomenon.
“It’s cool but it’s kind of dangerous,” Williams said.
Sleep deprivation was named as a public health epidemic by the CDC earlier this year and was linked to motor vehicle crashes, industrial disasters and medical/other occupational errors.
Dr. Offutt said students can battle sleep insufficiency by taking time to calm down before they try to sleep.
“Most people know that having caffeine too close to bed time makes it difficult to relax, but other things interfere with sleep as well, such as worrying about an exam,” she said.
