Struggling to stay awake while studying?
Falling asleep while studying is so easy, and there are times when the long hours, heavy reading materials, and the psychological fatigue will start working. Many of the students struggle to remain focused and instead doze off to sleep in a scenario where maximum focus is needed.
Overcoming drowsiness is most of the time a challenge, whether you are studying to pass your exams, doing the homework or trying to create a study routine . Knowing how to be alert and why you are feeling sleepy can actually prove to be a good idea during your academics, as well as be less draining.
This is a guide that talks about useful tips that are scientifically proven and will ensure that you are awake, enthusiastic and fully involved in your study.
12 Ways to Avoid Sleeping While Studying
It may be hard to stay awake when one begins to feel sleepy in the course of study. But some modifications in your lifestyle and smart studying will make you remain alert and productive.
Learning to listen to the surrounding world and your own body, and the ability to do this, will help in avoiding drowsiness and in getting your brain to work. The following are just a few of the tips that can help you to be awake and alert when studying.
1. Get Fresh Air
When you breathe in fresh air, this increases the circulation of oxygen in your brain, hence making you attentive and alert. The fact that one is in a crowded room may make them feel exhausted, and thus, opening a window or just taking a short time and stepping out will open up the head.
Natural air will help to remove tiredness as well as help you to focus better, which will make your studying time more productive and energised.
2. Stay Hydrated
Dehydration may lead to fatigue, pain and lack of concentration. Consumption of water in sufficient quantities will maintain the activity of your brain and avoid apathy. Have a bottle of water close by and take little sips at a regular time to keep oneself going.
When properly hydrated, memory, alertness and general cognitive performance are enhanced, and you are able to stay awake and concentrate during extended gaps of time within the confines of the study room.
3. Avoid Studying in Bed
You have programmed your brain to relate the bed to relaxation and sleep, and it becomes easier to fall asleep. Sitting on a desk or a light table also makes you sit in an upright position, and your mind is alert.
A specialised study area also enhances concentration and provides a clear mental divider between rest and work, which eliminates the chances of sleeping.
Do you know why a perfect a bedtime routine is important for a child .
4. Practice Active Learning
The methods of active learning , including taking notes, posing questions, summarising and teaching yourself, keep the mind always busy. This helps to eliminate boredom and helps to avoid drowsiness.
By engaging with the content rather than passively reading, you have your brain on the alert, thus it is more effective to study, and you are also naturally awake.
5. Eat Light Snacks
Healthy snacks such as fruits, nuts, or yoghurt deliver a constant stream of energy without the feeling of gaining weight or feeling tired. High intake of food may make you feel sleepy as your body is engaged in digestion.
Small, healthy snacks keep the blood sugar levels up, increase concentration, and keep your energy levels up during the time of study, eliminating the needless exhaustion.
6. Keep Moving
Long sitting results in stiffness of the body and tiredness of the mind. Squeezing your fingers-stretching, strolls or other easy activities-enhances blood circulation and leave your mind feeling renewed.
Workout is one method of burning out the energy and leaving you more refreshed and alert, hence able to resume studying more alert and not feeling as though you are going to sleep.
Study stress is a natural, but having an understanding of stress management for students is good.
7. Study With Friends
Friending will make you have an interactive environment while studying with friends. The concentration and reduction of boredom can be ensured with the assistance of group discussions, quizzes, and shared explanations.
Peer support makes you stay on track and awake as well. It is not so dull and boring as in solo learning.
8. Get Enough Sleep at Night
Sleep is required to enjoy daytime studies. Being sleep deprived, your brain does not sleep and therefore, studying becomes difficult. Sleeping frequently improves memory, concentration and emotional intelligence .
A good sleep at night will ensure that you will not sleep much during the day and will wake up with a lot of energy to study.
9. Take a Short Break
The learning that is delayed and never-ending may cause psychological exhaustion and drowsiness. One of the ways of avoiding burnout would be to clear your mind by having little breaks after every 45 minutes or so. Keep your mind active by walking, eating, or even breathing.
Exercising your brain, by breaking, assists your brain in processing information more effectively, as you are awake and in general, you are more efficient in learning.
10. Use Active Recall
Active recall of memory via a question, flashcard or retracing the memory can improve memory and remove boredom.
Due to the active nature of your mind to extract information, your mind is therefore active and attentive. This way is more effective to do the education process and will not cause drowsiness like passive reading tends to cause.
11. Avoid Heavy or Sugary Foods
The high-density food and sweetened food can lead to a sudden loss of energy. The foodstuffs are sweetened products that, despite the temporary boosting effect, are surrounded by crashes that make a person feel exhausted.
Fatty or large food decreases the speed of the digestive system and makes one feel exhausted. The intake of low-calorie and low-fat foods also ensures that there is no loss in energy and resultant feeling of drowsiness in a study.
12. Avoid Caffeine
Caffeine is an instant boost of energy, but this may affect sleep in future, which will leave you drained in the long run.
Caffeine addiction could also lead to jitteriness or crashes, and this will impair concentration. Rather to avoid taking stimulants, but to naturally feel alert, it is advisable to ensure that one is well-hydrated, takes well-balanced snacks, and gets sufficient sleep.
Also read: How problem-solving techniques are essential in education.
Conclusion
It does not necessarily have to be a daily struggle to be awake during the process of studying. The correct behaviours and conscious choices are able to place your mind in the correct position, your energy on the correct path and your attention on the correct path.
Even the minor details like keeping yourself hydrated, getting sleep and not eating fatty food and establishing healthy sleeping habits can go a long way as far as your output is concerned.
Having a clear idea about what you need and how to bring yourself to a better mind, you will be able to make your studying hours more appropriate, more effective, and more enjoyable. Be more consistent, be more motivated, and it will be so much easier to stay awake and optimise the study routine .
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