Studying is definitely something none of us enjoys completely. We have all been in a position, when we had a lot of material to go through in a short period of time, or even a lot of material in a longer period of time.
The main problem we all experienced was getting sleepy. There is simply something about studying that makes us very tired and drowsy and we fight hard to chase this feeling away.
Sometimes this feeling is real, especially if we were learning for a long period of time and we are now feeling exhausted and ready to take a break from everything.
But sometimes, this feeling is simply made up and we are not actually tired or sleepy. Our brain tricks us into thinking we are about to fall asleep, especially if we are studying something that is not fun or engaging to us.
In this article, we will reveal some tricks and tips on how to avoid falling asleep while you are studying, and here they are.
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Turn the lights on
We all know that studying in a low light environment is not a good idea. Dark places with very low light, make us sleepy even if we are not studying. So, this is why you should study in a room with good lighting and avoid being closed up in a place where you don’t have enough natural light coming in.
The best possible way to study, is to be somewhere with natural lighting conditions, because nothing can replace natural light. If you are the kind of person, who likes to study at night, then you should make sure that your light are bright enough so that they can keep you awake and prevent falling asleep.
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Sit in front of the table
Studying while sitting in front of the table is the best way to study. If you are lying down or sitting somewhere comfortably, then there is a big chance that you might fall asleep. When you are sitting in front of the table, the books are on the right level and you are able to focus more on the content.
When you are sitting somewhere too comfortably, then this makes it harder to concentrate and you will more likely fall asleep. This is a good position for your back and neck too, because any other position might hurt your spine especially if you are sitting that way too long.
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Eat light meals
Before studying, you should avoid eating big meals. When we eat a lot of food, especially if it is very fulfilling, we will more likely fall asleep when we are studying.
Our body needs rest after consuming a large meal, to process all the nutrients in it.
This is why we feel sleepy each time we stuff ourselves with large meals. Eating healthy foods that increase your mental concentration and abilities is also a good idea.
This is why you should eat food like fish, nuts and other foods rich in omega fatty acids.
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Avoid using the table fan
If you are studying in a room that doesn’t have a roof fan, then move your table fan away from your face. If you place it closely, and if it blows air into your face, you will more likely fall asleep.
This happens because table fans are known for inducing sleep, and blowing air into your face directly, won’t make you cooler and it will definitely make you feel sleepy.
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Drink a lot of water
Water is extremely important while studying. Our bodies tend to get tired when we are not drinking enough water, and dehidratation makes us feel sleepy.
Water is also good for our brains, because it instantly wakes us up. Water has similar effects like coffee but it is less damaging to our body.
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Walk around the room
If you already spend some time studying and you are starting to feel sleepy, then you should stand up and walk around your room for a while.
Sometimes we just get tired of sitting in the same position all the time, so you should get up and walk around a little to wake yourself up.
This is good for your blood flow too, but also taking pauses is something you need to implement into your studying regime.
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Study out aloud
If you are the type of person who easily falls asleep while studying, then you should try reading out aloud. This will definitely make you feel more awake and you won’t fall asleep so easily.
Not everybody has the right amount of focus and concentration, so reading in silence makes it even harder for these people to stay focused.
When you are reading things aloud, you force yourself to stay awake and you basically awake yourself from sleep.
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Drink coffee
This tip is an obvious one. We all know that drinking coffee while studying helps us be more concentrated and focused on what we are doing.
But the thing you should be careful about is that a lot of coffee is not good for you.
You should only drink around two cups of coffee daily and avoid drinking more than that. our body can sometimes go into survival mode due to large caffeine intakes and you can only do more harm than good.
It is best to drink a cup of coffee half an hour before you start studying. This way, your body will be able to process caffeine and wake up your brain.
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Ventilate your room
It is ideal to study inside a room that is ventilated and in a room that has a lot of fresh air coming in. this way your brain will stay more active and you will be able to keep yourself awake.
When we spend a lot of time inside a room without any fresh air coming in, we expose our self to the risk of falling asleep.
Our brain needs fresh air to function and lack of air inside the room can cause your brain to shut down and stop memorizing information.
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Get a good night sleep
It is crucial for everything you do, to get enough sleep the night before. This part can be hard, especially if you are on a deadline, but this is exactly why you should start working on time in order to have enough room to prepare for exams.
An adult should get at least 7 hours of sleep at night in order to function properly.
Lack of sleep can make us feel unfocused and sleepy the next day, and you won’t be able to memorize things like you would be able, if you had a good night sleep.
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Exercise
Exercise is good for our body in various ways. When we exercise or move our bodies, we feel better in a physical but also in a psychological way.
It has been proven that exercising can indeed help us motivate our brain to memorize more and make our overall body work a hundred times better.
This is why you should incorporate light exercises even when you are studying, simply to wake yourself up.
These exercises shouldn’t be too exhausting because then you might end up feeling tired and unable to study. Simple and light exercises will be enough, so try them out every time you feel like falling asleep.
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Night owls and early birds
We are all different, there is no doubt about it, so when you are studying you should ask yourself when do you feel more awake, is it at night, during the day or in the morning.
Knowing how your body functions and when it feels on top of its game, is a key to success.
For example, if you know that you feel extremely tired at night and that your body barely functions, then this is not the right time to study.
Avoid listening to others and taking their advice, because some of us are early birds and some of us are night owls.
If you feel the most energized when you wake up and your brain is fresh, then this is the right time for you to study. Many people find the morning to be the best time to study and memorize, but there are also people who like spending their nights with books in their hands and this works out perfectly for them.
Whatever you do, make sure you implement some of these tips and definitely adapt the studying environment in the best way that suits you.
