“It can temporarily impair cognitive performance and knowledge retention,” Braunlich said. “A good night of sleep will help restore the body to balance. The risks increase with multiple all-nighters in a short span of time.”

Although losing sleep can cause an inevitable crash later, Braunlich said certain methods, such as exercise breaks, can cushion the blow.

“Taking a nap the afternoon beforehand for a couple of hours can help, as can avoiding caffeine and sugary items that will just lead to a crash later on,” she said. “To stay more alert, keep a window open for cool air (and) take exercise breaks to recharge, even if it is just some jumping jacks or running around the house.”

Despite the potential health risk, students have patented their own ways to get through a night of work — including Lyman Briggs freshman Grant Boxey.

“I stay awake through pure mental determination,” Boxey said. “I do believe I can pull a healthy all-nighter, because I do, when I watch what I drink and limit the amount of caffeine I take in.”
Linguistics freshman Taylor Lillie Ann Sartoris also said she believes a healthy all-nighter can be achieved.

“It helps to snack a little bit here and there and stay hydrated,” Sartoris said. “I always have music playing as well. I don’t drink anything with caffeine.”

Other students, such as journalism junior Leslie Spector, believe the occasional all-nighter is necessary, but still unhealthy.

“(When I pull all-nighters,) I usually go to the library so I don’t fall asleep,” Spector said. “I try and drink a lot of water, but I know that it is not healthy for me to stay up all night.”

In the end, Braunlich said, all-nighters will not cause long-term problems unless the habit becomes frequent.

“Most people who pull an all-nighter are going feel pretty lousy the next day, with brain fog affecting memory, (which is) not good if you are taking an exam,” she said. “However, an occasional all-nighter will probably not cause any long-term effects.”