Law Students, It is Bar Exam time again!

Anyone who has been through law school knows that perfect sleep during finals is sometimes unrealistic. If a short night happens, here are a few small neuroscience-informed strategies:

• Sleep cycles: Sleep occurs in cycles of about 90 minutes, moving through light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. If you cannot get a full night, aiming for complete cycles such as 90 minutes, three hours, or four and a half hours can sometimes make waking up feel less groggy than waking in the middle of a cycle.

• Strategic naps: Short naps can help more than people expect. A 20 to 30-minute nap can restore alertness and improve focus. If you have the time, a 90-minute nap allows the brain to complete a full sleep cycle and may also help consolidate material you studied earlier.

• Light and movement: Getting natural light in the morning can improve alertness. Pairing that with a short walk can help reset attention during long study sessions.

A full night of sleep, or even small amounts of well-timed sleep, can help your brain turn all that studying into accessible knowledge when it matters most during exams. Sometimes the best thing you can do for tomorrow’s exam is to let your brain sleep on it tonight.

Defne Ekin, Ph.D.

NJLAP Team Clinician