How many of you succesfully get your sleep cycle in line?

[Omni]

Before the MCAT, people say that you should try to wake up around the time you will be waking up on the day of the MCAT and you should study around the time you will be writing the MCAT. You should start doing this 1 week before your MCAT date.
I have about 2 more days and I still haven't been able to do this.

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[Sauce1]

Its a good idea. For the week before I woke up at the time I was going to have to for the test. This also helped me fall asleep the night before the test because I was so tired from waking up early for the week and i got a solid sleep which is important for the exam.

 

[SN2ed]

I got my sleep cycle in check after slowly adjusting it for a few weeks.

 

[Isoprop]

i don't think it's such a big deal.

 

[Evergrey]

If you don't have any accumulated sleep debt, losing 1-2 hours of sleep the night before a test is probably not going to have a significant effect on your performance.

 

[Sauce1]

If you don't have any accumulated sleep debt, losing 1-2 hours of sleep the night before a test is probably not going to have a significant effect on your performance.

Your probably right, but my opinion is that sleep the night before can make or break you. The test is long and grueling and sure you have adrenaline pumping for a while, but by the end of the test your dead. More sleep=more alert throughout the whole test=usually better results.

 

[ChemEngSoonMD]

If you studied well, F=MA will be F=MA no matter how tired you are.

 

[Sauce1]

If you studied well, F=MA will be F=MA no matter how tired you are.

True but most of the MCAT questions require you to extrapolate information from the passage to an ambiguous question that requires higher brain function than recalling F=MA

 

[Isoprop]

I disagree that a few hours will "make or break" you. Sleep is important, but as long as you get a decent amount, it won't affect your performance.

I don't think anybody is going to be saying "man, I would've gotten into med school this cycle if only I slept a few more hours the night before the MCAT."

 

[Sauce1]

I disagree that a few hours will "make or break" you. Sleep is important, but as long as you get a decent amount, it won't affect your performance.

I don't think anybody is going to be saying "man, I would've gotten into med school this cycle if only I slept a few more hours the night before the MCAT."

When you say it like that.......hahaha. I agree but it could be the difference in a point or two on the test, which sometimes can matter. Im just saying that you want to be at your best on test day.

 

[SN2ed]

I think the usefulness of adjusting your sleep cycle depends on where your test center is located and your current sleep cycle. If you're far away from your test center and your test is at 8, you should adjust your cycle. Another situation were you may want to adjust is if your sleep cycle has you waking up late in the day.

 

[Tutmos]

I think you need to quantify the amount of sleep we're talking about. Your performance probably won't be impacted substantially getting 5 or 6 hours instead of 8 but getting 2 hours vs. 8, regardless of any accumulated sleep debt, will affect your results.

The F=MA statement was a bit silly. I assume you were joking with that post.

I found that it didn't matter how much or for how long I adjusted my sleep cycle, the night before the exam I couldn't sleep. I had to void twice because I could never fall asleep, my mind was racing. Getting a script from my GP for Ambien allowed me to finally get 5 hours or so.

 

[Sauce1]

I think you need to quantify the amount of sleep we're talking about. Your performance probably won't be impacted substantially getting 5 or 6 hours instead of 8 but getting 2 hours vs. 8, regardless of any accumulated sleep debt, will affect your results.

The F=MA statement was a bit silly. I assume you were joking with that post.

exactly 👍

 

[Omni]

Since I will be fasting, I will need to wake up the latest before sunrise and have a hearty breakfast. So what I'm looking to do is go to sleep at 8:45-9:00 and wake up by 5:00. Eat a good and heavy breakfast and stay up from that time upto the exam time. I have my exam at 8:00 AM so I'll be leaving from home at around 7:15 or so.
Staying awake from eating breakfast and up to the start of the exam should slow down my digestion enough to allow me to make use of that energy during the exam and carry the rest of the way with glycogen. I should really carb-load the night before my exam.