Drooping eyelids, head lolling forward, elbows slipping off your desk, slower breathing; we’re sure that students of all ages can testify that it can be challenging to keep these symptoms at bay while studying.
Whether you spent last night cramming for that big test you’ve got later in the week, worked long hours at your part-time job, attended a long evening class, or found a subject or teacher less interesting than others, all can contribute to sleepiness while studying. Being disengaged from a topic can cause our minds to wander and drift off into slumber.
If you find snapping out of sleepiness more challenging than the Pythagorean theorem, consider using one of the strategies below to keep yourself more alert and focused on your learning.
Study as Part of a Group
Another way to avoid feeling sleepy while studying is by studying as part of a group. Whether this is a group of peers, classmates, or a study group, going through study material with others is more motivating and allows you to get different perspectives on class materials.
Doing so will help you avoid feeling sleepy while studying since being in the presence of other people makes it much more challenging to nod off. Instead, being around peers can help you understand the learning material better, allows you to engage in a separate conversation, and gives you support while studying subjects that are less than inspiring to read about.
On the other hand, if you feel that studying as part of a large group might be more distracting for you, you could consider enlisting the services of a coach that can provide you with empowering techniques to motivate you and avoid feeling sleepy while studying. Whether through one-on-one tuition or online articles, you can find various strategies to help keep you alert and focused while studying.
Don’t Study in Your Bedroom
Depending on where you live, you may find that your bedroom is the best place to study, as you are less likely to be distracted. However, trying to learn in an environment typically associated with sleep can do more damage than good since it can make you feel drowsier. To avoid this, wherever possible, you should try and study somewhere else, whether this is at your local library, an internet café, or another area of your home that isn’t your bedroom.
While we all agree that there is nothing better than getting in bed, there are several scientifically backed reasons why you shouldn’t. From making it more challenging to fall asleep, decreasing the quality of your sleep, and making it difficult to separate work from home – you should actively avoid studying in your bedroom wherever possible.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Another way students can avoid nodding off while studying is by getting an appropriate amount of sleep each night. Since sleep is closely associated with memory, motivation, attention, and overall mood, according to health professionals, teenage students should aim to get in-between eight to ten hours of sleep per night to give them the best chance of achieving good academic performance.
