10 Ways to Keep Awake

Jobs, Learning — By 88DB Knowledge on June 21, 2011 12:00 pm

stay awake

Fighting the ‘Zzz’ Monster

Struggling to keep awake in class?

Be it boring morning lectures at 8.00am or dreary afternoon classes at 3pm, we all understand the struggles of having to stay awake while seated in a lecture room for hours.

Here are 10 simple ways to keep drowsiness at bay in lengthy boring lectures.

1. Avoid a heavy lunch

Afternoon classes are the nastiest. Right after lunch and as the temperature and humidity level increases, we can barely keep our eyelids open. To make sure you do not feel sluggish in the afternoons, avoid a heavy lunch. A heavy meal results in your body’s digestion system having to work harder and you will feel lethargic. Also, loading up on carbohydrates will zap the energy out of you, so avoid noodles, rice and potatoes for lunch.

2. Avoid caffeine or sweets

Consuming caffeine and sweets may give you a temporary boost in energy levels but they will only make you crave for twice as much once the effect wears off so you’ll feel sleepier than ever!

3. Get 8 hours of sleep

A common reason for students falling asleep in class is that they sleep late the night before class and thus do not get enough rest. Sensibly speaking, having 8 hours of sleep or more the night before class should keep you more awake and perky during the day.

4. Front row seats

Try sitting within the first 3 rows of the lecture room. This will lessen your tendency of daydreaming because you can see and hear the contents of the lesson properly. Besides, with the Professor up-close, you will be more conscious of falling asleep in his/her lesson!

5. Get uncomfortable

Try sitting in an upright position with your back straight. This will make it harder for you to doze off, plus you will look attentive to the Professor. Of course, maintaining an upright position for an extended period of time is easier said than done. In this case, seat yourself in an uncomfortable position such as double-crossing your legs (for girls) or sit at the edge of the seat. The discomfort should prevent you from dozing off.

6. Move around

If the professor allows you to step out of class for a moment, do so for a minute to increase blood circulation. This will energize you temporarily. If your professor doesn’t allow that, try moving your limbs. Little movements such as tapping your feet (silently), fiddling with a pen, or clenching and unclenching your fist will do fine.

7. Doodle

Other than keeping your blood circulation up, doodling stimulates your brain and keeps you from nodding off. Doodles or scribbles could form a mind-map for the lecture as well. Just don’t write or draw anything embarrassing in case you get caught by the professor.

8. Hydrate yourself

Drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. Being dehydrated adds on to the lethargy. Refresh yourself by sipping on some cold water. It perks you up a lot more. Also, there is no way you can fall asleep with a full bladder.

9. Healthy snacking

If light snacks are allowed by your professor, have something to chew on to prevent yourself from snoozing. Have some nuts, cereal, or fruits for a healthy snack. Fruits like grapes, strawberries, and cherries are small and manageable so it won’t be much of a distraction when you’re eating them in class.

10.When all else fails, listen.

Why not try actually paying attention during the lesson? You might come to find that the lesson is not that boring after all. Taking down notes will keep you busy and stop you from falling asleep in class too.

Have more ways to battle the lethargic you? Share with us! Click Here!

Have any interesting stories to share? Voice it at JobsDB campus! Sharing is caring (:

Written by Jolyn

provided by