Students and pupils preparing for examinations are being urged to ditch energy drinks and sugary snacks in favour of balanced meals, water and adequate sleep to maintain concentration and avoid exhaustion.
General practitioner Cornelia Ndifon says relying on caffeine to compensate for last-minute studying can leave students anxious, sleep-deprived and struggling to concentrate when they need it most.
“Some of them have not been reading all year round, and exam time they want to finish everything at once, so they take more and more caffeine to stay awake, ditching sleep, which is actually therapy,” Ndifon says.
She warns that some energy drinks contain between 100mg and 300mg of caffeine per can, alongside high sugar content and other stimulants, including guarana and taurine.
According to Ndifon, excessive caffeine consumption can cause a rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, severe dehydration, anxiety, poor sleep and dependence or withdrawal symptoms.
She says students who use caffeine to push through assignments and studying may struggle to sleep even after completing their work, affecting their ability to prepare for examinations.
Ndifon says students may also experience anxiety, confusion, jitteriness and difficulty recalling information during examinations, undermining the very purpose of consuming energy drinks to stay alert.
“The whole point of taking caffeine to write an essay in the heat, I mean, even without caffeine, we know that exam triggers some kind of a tension in people. Now with caffeine, it worsens,” she says.
She advises students to develop consistent study habits from the beginning of the semester instead of waiting until examination timetables are released to begin preparing.
Ndifon says regular exercise, drinking enough water, eating well and getting seven to nine hours of sleep can help students maintain energy and concentration.
She recommends foods such as oats, nuts, seeds and lean meats, saying balanced nutrition can help maintain energy levels during study sessions.
World Food Programme Namibia associate Arnolda Booysen also encourages students and pupils to prioritise balanced meals and snacks that provide sustained energy and support concentration.
Booysen recommends whole grains, oats, mahangu, eggs, beans, fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables, which provide nutrients that support brain function, memory and general well-being.
She says energy drinks and sugary snacks should be limited, as their high caffeine and sugar content can cause temporary increases in alertness, followed by tiredness.
“Students should not skip meals or rely on snacks alone,” Booysen says.
Booysen says starchy foods are not inherently unhealthy, emphasising that portion sizes, variety and food preparation matter.
She also advises students to choose affordable and convenient study snacks, including boiled eggs, sandwiches, fruit and nuts.
Instead of energy drinks, she recommends water or milk, while fresh fruit, homemade frozen fruit treats and plain yoghurt with fruit can replace sweets and sugary ice lollies.
Booysen says healthy eating during examinations does not have to be expensive, encouraging students to make use of affordable local foods and maintain regular balanced meals.
Ndifon says students should use daylight hours productively rather than sacrificing sleep to complete work that could have been done earlier.
“There is no point losing sleep in the night to do the work that you would have done in the daytime,” she says.
She adds that preparing consistently throughout the semester, instead of cramming shortly before examinations, can help students avoid relying on stimulants to remain awake.
Ndifon says adequate nutrition, exercise, hydration and sleep are healthier ways to sustain alertness and prepare for examinations.
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