Hi! I was wondering if you know some tips about feeling sleepy right before you start to study. It would be very helpful if you have some tips :)
Iâm sorry this was late but I really wanted to give a detailed answer and not just a couple of random tips (although if thatâs what you were hoping for, I tried to categorize them so that theyâre easy to skim through). Back to the question.
Oh my gosh I feel you on this anon. As a perpetually exhausted person, I have had instances where I woke up with my notes stuck to my forehead. Iâm happy to say that I do have some tips on overcoming tiredness while studying!
First and Foremost, Get Some Sleep.
This might be a really simple tip, but itâs the most essential. Inadequate sleep reduces the amount of data that transfers to your brain from the short term memory to the long term memory. To combat this, get enough sleep. 7-8 is generally preferred but if you really canât do that, I suggest at least 6. Whatever night you know youâre going to be pulling an all-nighter, make sure you go to bed on time, or even earlier, the nights before so that youâre well adjusted and can actually afford an all-nighter.
Breakfast is love. Breakfast is life. Eating breakfast will boost your metabolism and give you nutrients to keep you energize you throughout the day, thatâs if youâre eating something other than cereal and poptarts. I recommend eating things like overnight oats (here are 28 recipes), scrambled eggs with spinach, even a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!
Eating right is key when studying. Snacking can actually be good for you, if theyâre healthy. Try eating foods with more omega-3s (walnuts, soybeans, pumpkin seeds) and fiber (raspberries, baby carrots, sweet potato chips). Stay away from junk and processed food! They can actually make you sleepier.
Also, drink water. I know I sound like your mother but sometimes, the cure to fatigue is just plain water. Â When youâre dehydrated, youâre tired. Simple as that. Now go drink water.
Caffeine might wake you up initially and give you the buzz you need but that will quickly wear off just as fast and make you more tired than you were.
If youâre pulling an all-nighter, have some extra caffeine in the morning (no more than three cups before lunch). This will give you the extra focus you need later in the day, and night.
Early Bird Gets The Most Studying In
Research has shown that if a person studies for two hours in the early morning, his/her level of concentration increases. Your concentration will increase to the extent that your two hours of studying will equal anotherâs six hours of studying since your mind is fresh in the morning and can retain more information.
I love studying in the morning. I wake up early, have an hour to myself and then get into the groove of studying in a happy state.
Beds are for sleeping and binge watching Netflix. Your mind associates the comfy area with sleep and thus, making you feel tired. Go to a real desk where youâre sitting up on a chair. It might be less comfortable but thatâs the point. If you specify a spot for studying, your mind will associate the spot for studying/doing work only.
If youâre tired of the same place to study, try out new spots! You might find your favorite place to study somewhere other than your desk like the University library or outdoors.
Iâm the type of person that when I start something, I like to finish it. To the extent where Iâll skip meals and forget to use the bathroom. This is bad. Donât do this. Taking breaks not only helps your bladder, it improves your concentration. The pomodoro technique, though productive, doesnât help me. I canât study for 25 minutes and then take a 5 minute break. I need to finish my assignment or at least get to a point where I feel comfortable enough to go on a break. I personally use my own rendition of the pomodoro method. I study for 45 minutes to an hour and take a 10 minute break (no more, no less). After three hours, I take a half hour to an hour break. This will help keep you motivated and youâll be more likely to retain the information since your brain is still processing the information on your breaks.
Things to do on your break besides going on Tumblr: walk around the room, refill your water bottle, get another healthy snack, clean up the mess that is your desk, have a dance party to your favorite song.
If youâre the type to listen to music while studying (which I totally am), it might help you keep focus! Classical music as well as video game music is generally designed to improve your focus. However, if youâre falling asleep to Bach, Iâd suggest to listen to whatever you feel like. It might be a great break to just listen to some of your favorite tunes. I usually to listen to my favorite songs during easy problems that I can do easily while also singing along. But, if youâre trying to memorize something, I wouldnât suggest to do this unless youâre on your break.
Studying loudly will allow you to actually listen to yourself explain and/or read your material and have a better understanding of the subject matter. I suggest doing this alone, it tends to annoy other people.
If youâre really exhausted and start seeing stars, itâs time to take a nap. It might not be ideal, especially if you have so much work to do however, you need to listen to your body. If you canât function anymore without closing your eyes, then take a short nap. And by short, I really mean short. 20 minutes will give the best results since this is just enough time for your body to fall asleep and re-energize. Anything longer will disrupt your sleep later in the night and youâll end up feeling very groggy when waking up.
I hope I helped! Please message me or ask me if you have any more questions! Iâll be more than happy to answer them!
