As a student, having that drive and concentration to study can often be a pain in the neck.
These days, it seems like a lot of work to sit down and thoroughly study or revise what you've read. This is because you have to deal with a lot of distractions, not to mention you have other obligations.
Did you know that over 30% of students struggle to focus when studying? That's a significant number.
But the good thing is that studies have also shown that if you have great study techniques and know when your brain works best, you'll study much better.
So, this points us back to the question: what's the best time to study? I'll answer this question as we continue this post.
Let's dive in.
When Is the Brain Most Active?
Our circadian rhythms, essentially an internal clock in our brains, control how we operate throughout the day.
The problem is that several lifestyle factors, including hormones, eating habits, and exposure to natural light, can affect this internal clock.
This explains why you could be unable to keep your eyes open at midnight while your friend, a night owl, says he loves reading at night.
Early morning or afternoon, around 10 am and 2 pm, is usually one of the best times to study. Around 2:00 to 4:00 pm, you might have a post-lunch drop as your blood rushes to the digestive system.
However, between 4 and 10 pm, you'd like to give it a go once more. Most students might need a good hour after waking up to feel completely alert and concentrated when studying early in the day.
I sometimes feel drowsy when I sit down to study first thing in the morning. However, how I comprehend things around 11 am feels effortless after a morning workout, brunch, and shower.
Everybody's experience is unique, so you must know your highs and lows.
How Does the Time of the Day Affect How Students Study?
Time of day significantly impacts two cognitive functions that are essential to how you study. That is your focus and memory.
Memory
Your short-term memory, which includes how you memorise things like phone numbers, is best in the early hours of the day.
What does this tell you as a student? Studying things like chemistry, physics, mathematics, and history very early in the morning is great.
Our brains become very tired at night, making it so difficult for us to learn new information.
Concentration
Concentration follows a slightly different pattern, with two peaks across the day. Students focus more between 9 am-12 pm in the morning.
When it comes to doing tasks needing pure focus without absorbing lots of new information, many students find later at night works well for them, too, once distractions like social media and friends messaging die down. However, getting adequate sleep is key here.
What Is the Best Time to Study? (Morning, Afternoon or Night)
With both memory and concentration shifting throughout our 24-hour cycles, you may be wondering - when is the ultimate peak time I should be studying to maximise my learning potential?
Morning
For most people, our brains do feel fresh after a good night's rest. Morning study time capitalises on those high-focus morning hours between 9 am and 12 pm when you can intensely commit facts to memory thanks to peak memorisation abilities at this time. After a proper breakfast, you'll have nutrients to fuel the brain, too.
Setting study routines in the morning also means you benefit from morning willpower and self-discipline before it gets drained by other tasks in the day. Just be sure to allow an hour for full wakefulness before cracking open the books.
Potential downsides are struggling with drowsiness first thing and losing motivation by early afternoon as energy dips. However, mornings are a prime study period for many students.
Afternoon
If you find mornings make you groggy or struggle with afternoon energy slumps, after lunch can be an optimal alternative study time. Those couple of hours between 2 pm and 5 pm still allow you to tap into high afternoon concentration levels.
The benefit here is you skip both the morning "waking up" period where you might struggle with grogginess.
You also avoid the post-lunch digestive fatigue at 3-4 pm by starting after this. For many afternoon studies, the hours between 2-5 pm strike the perfect balance of feeling rested and mentally agile.
Just be wary that the later afternoon brings declining mental performance for focused learning. So, keeping study sessions before 5 pm prevents fatigue from setting in.
Night
You've probably heard the term "night owl" used to describe people with peak mental performance happening in the late evening hours.
Night time study between 8 pm - 11 pm capitalises on that burst of concentration many students experience once daily distractions end. For academic work like essays, revision and problem sets, focus tends to stay relatively sharp at night compared to mornings.
However, memory formation for retaining new material drops off significantly in the late evenings due to circadian declines. So, while you may stay more diligently on task at night, you'll likely struggle to actively absorb and memorise new content at this time.
Staying up too late can also hamper sleep quality, which has knock-on effects on study the next day. However, for coursework that needs a strong focus on memorisation, the night can be an optimal time slot in your schedule.
How to Find the Best Time to Study as a Student (5 Steps)
Finding your personal "sweet spot" when your brain is primed for intense learning might take some trial and error. But here are five key steps to strategically find your magic study time based on your lifestyle, body and preferences:
Understand your circadian rhythm peaks
Track how you feel at different times of the day. When do you naturally feel awake and energised versus tired? Does late morning or early evening feel the sharpest? Tuning into these natural rises and dips can reveal potential productive study slots.
Consider your personal schedule and environment
Pencil in potential study sessions when you have the least commitments or distractions from family, work and friends. Could early morning or late evening work best? Also, consider locations like a quiet library vs relaxing at home.
Experiment with study sessions and breaks
Try different 1-2 hour study blocks at different times, like early morning, post-lunch, etc. See when you feel most motivated and able to absorb material. Don't forget to take proper breaks to rest the brain and renew focus. Finding the right ratio of study/break time is key.
Factor in your sleep schedule
Make sure any late-night study sessions still enable you to wind down properly and get sufficient restorative rest. Maintaining consistent sleep and rise times reinforces helpful circadian rhythms, too. Fitting study around feeling wide awake after enough good sleep sets you up for success.
Know the type of material you're studying
If you need to memorise lots of facts and figures, the morning may be better suited. Late in the day could work well for essay writing and revision as concentration stays higher. Plan study sessions strategically around what cognitive abilities are needed most.
5 Effective Tips to Help You Study More Efficiently
Alongside picking optimal times to study, you can power-up the effectiveness of any study session with these research-backed tips:
1. Turn off notifications during study blocks: These pull attention away, draining concentration. Set phone screens to "do not disturb", barring calls from loved ones.
2. Prioritise harder material first: Tackle the toughest subjects when feeling most alert to absorb them effectively. Save revision or lighter work for later when energy naturally dips.
3. Take regular short breaks: Allowing your mind to rest at intervals boosts focus when you resume studying. Even just 5-10 minutes every 45-60 minutes works wonders.
4. Keep hydrated and fueled: Drink plenty of water and eat light protein-based snacks, like nuts, yoghurt or oatcakes, to nourish the brain. Avoid sugars and junk food!
5. Customise your study environment: Find a setting and setup that keeps you motivated, whether it's at a library desk or a relaxing home. Get comfy, but avoid being too comfy by lying in bed!
How Studyfetch Improves How Students Study
Today, technology can help if you need more assistance to improve your study habits and performance.
A suite of AI-powered tools from StudyFetch helps improve every facet of learning. Features such as Note AI help students better understand topics by summarising important points.
On the other hand, Flashcards AI makes personalized digital flashcard decks that allow you to learn important terms through spaced repetition. Also, Tutor Me helps you get clarification on issues you're having trouble with.
Regardless of the time of day you study, StudyFetch can help you study more effectively.
What Is the Best Time to Study FAQs
You probably still have many questions about the nuances of figuring out the best study schedule. I'll try to answer some of them here.
Is there a singular best time to study?
Although the best time to study varies from person to person, late morning is generally the best time. Finding your sweet spot depends on several factors, including how much sleep you get, the material you're studying, and your chronotype (night owl vs early bird).
Is it preferable to study at night or in the morning?
Being refreshed in the morning facilitates better memory and assimilation of new information. However, once distractions subside later in the evening, focusing intently on writing essays or solving problems is still possible.
What are the best and worst times to study?
Typically, the worst is between 1 and 4 am, when the brain feels sleepy and has trouble processing new information. While everyone has different ideal times, most students feel most alert in the late morning and early evening.
What are the best study apps or tools for students?
Studyfetch is the best study tool for students who want to get the most out of their academics. It has a lot of AI tools that can help improve how you study and perform during tests and exams.
Conclusion
Your productivity can improve when you know the best time to study. There is no point in struggling to read in the afternoon or late at night when you don’t feel like it.
Instead, focus on your body's natural circadian rhythms and create study habits that maximise your energy, memory, and focus.
Staying motivated while taking regular breaks can do much more than you think.
With the techniques I've shared here, you can improve your grades by turning even the most difficult courses or subjects that look so easy.
