Have you ever had one of those nights where you barely sleep but the next day you feel completely fine? Maybe even more energetic than usual? It almost feels like you have somehow hacked your sleep schedule. I used to think that way too, until I learned what is actually happening in the brain.
During my neuroscience seminar, I had the opportunity to listen to a research titled “An update on adolescent sleep: New evidence informing the perfect storm model” by Dr. Crowley, who focused on adolescent sleep. She explained how biological changes in teenagers shift their sleep cycles later into the night, while school schedules still require early wakeups. This mismatch does not just make teens tired, it directly affects attention, learning, and memory. That idea stayed with me and made me think more about how sleep actually affects the brain, not just how tired we feel.
In a Scientific American article titled “Why People Feel More Energized with Less Sleep” by J. Solis-Moreira, the author talks about something that actually feels a bit surprising at first. Sometimes when we do not get enough sleep, we actually feel more awake. However, this is not real energy, it is the brain going into a kind of emergency mode.
When we are sleep-deprived, the body releases stress-related chemicals like cortisol and adrenaline. These create a temporary boost in alertness, almost like a natural stimulant. That is why after a short night, you might feel focused or even slightly euphoric. The problem is that this feeling can be really misleading. Even though we feel awake, our cognitive functions like memory, decision-making, and attention are actually getting worse.
I have definitely experienced this myself. There were times when I went to bed late but still woke up at my usual time and felt surprisingly energetic. In those moments, it honestly felt like less sleep was somehow working better for me. But looking back, I can see that even though I felt more alert, I was not necessarily thinking more clearly. Small mistakes, slower reactions, and difficulty focusing on basic tasks would show up later.
The same thing happens during exam periods. I have noticed that if I stay up late studying, not all night but longer than I should, I can still remember the material the next day, especially after reviewing it in the morning. It makes it seem like getting less sleep did not hurt my learning. According to the article, this is exactly the kind of trap people fall into. The brain creates the illusion that everything is fine, even when performance is already declining.
What I found really interesting is that there is a gap between how we feel and how we actually function. We tend to trust our subjective sense of energy. If we do not feel tired, we assume that we are performing well. But neuroscience shows that these are two completely different things. You can feel awake and still have impaired memory, reduced attention, and slower thinking.
Sleep deprivation can be really dangerous because people might feel confident enough to drive, take exams, or make important decisions, without realizing that their brain is not operating at full capacity. It is not just about how you feel in the moment. It is about what your brain is actually capable of doing. That extra energy after not getting enough sleep is not a sign that you do not need rest, it is a sign that your brain is trying to compensate. The better you feel after no sleep, the more careful you should be.
Work Cited
Crowley, Stephanie J., et al. “An Update on Adolescent Sleep: New Evidence Informing the Perfect Storm Model.” Journal of Adolescence, vol. 67, 2018, pp.55-65
Solis-Moreira, Joselyn. “Why People Feel ‘Tired but Wired’ after Little Sleep.” Scientific American https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-people-feel-more-energized-with-less-sleep/
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