Studying too many hours per day?

Why do I sleep longer hours after studying all day, then I would after physical exercise all day?

• If I spend the day working out physically, I may need 8 hours sleep. When I spend the day studying, I can sleep for 15 hours strait without an alarm clock.

• Answer:

  Mental strain has a greater effect on the body than does physical exercise. Think for a moment if you will about heart attacks. While some happen following or during physical activity, studies show that the physical activity have only compounded or activated the heart attack and not caused it, as most people presume. Often mental stress will bring on a heart attack more so than physical activity. Then consider that it is your brain which makes your muscles move the way you so desire them to perform but this is less strenuous than worry and stress on the brain. So when you are cramming for exams, you are forcing more info into your brain and it is trying to retain more for the short term which constitutes great stress on you mind as well as emotions. Things build up as you sub-consciously worry about getting that very best score which is the driving force behind your cramming. All this piles up over time and your heart races to keep your body nourished by the nutrients and oxygen in your blood, more so than in physical activity. Also consider that your brain partially is at rest while you exercise and you must use outside stimuli to occupy it while you work out, which leads to using an MP3 or watching TV while one the exercise machine. Hope this helps. L8r