25 Ways to Keep from Falling Asleep in Class (and at Work)
Dead tired
One of the hardest things students have to learn in school is how to stay awake during class. Everyone has been there and it’s funny to watch someone else fight falling asleep in class, a victim of “The Bob”.
First your eyelids seem to be getting heavier by the minute, your breathing is getting shallower then your eyes shut even as you fight to keep them open. Then you’re momentarily jolted back into semi-consciousness as you snap your head back upright after it had fallen forward onto your chest or back until you were looking at the ceiling.
Maybe it was a late night studying, yeah right, stick with that story. More likely some gaming that couldn’t end until the end of the next round, or level 9000, whichever came first, or some late night TV, watching videos or visiting your favourite social networking sites.
High school is where many poor sleep habits start and they are many times worse in college. Apart from missing a lot of information, these bad habits will often follow you into adulthood and possibly dog you for the rest of your life.
25 Ways to Help Stay Awake in Class
- Participate in discussions or ask questions. The teacher doesn’t have to know you’re doing it to stay awake
- Sit up straight. Slouching is a sleep precursor
- Chew gum or mints
- Suck on cough drops
- Concentrate on what the teacher is saying
- Doodle
- Take lots of notes
- Bounce your crossed leg up and down
- Shift around in your chair
- Sip cold water
- Sit at the front of the class
- Move your feet
- Pinch yourself
- Stare wide-eyed into a light
- Bite your tongue
- Play with your pen
- Don’t lean on your hands
- Work on your to-do list or shopping list
- Avoid mid-week late nights or all-nighters
- Maintain a regular sleep schedule
- Try to get 8 ½ to 9 ½ hours of sleep every night
- Exercise in the morning or walk/ride to school
- Eat breakfast for an extra energy boost
- Eat healthy snacks instead of chocolate bars or chips
- Eat a light lunch – avoid the hoggie or turkey sub
If you follow this list of 25 time-tested ways to help you stay awake in class, you may develop some good sleep habits and Buddha willing, maybe you’ll learn something.
What works best for you?
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