Scientists recommend everyone should sleep at least eight hours every day. Well, only a few people follow that recommendation, and that’s why you find people sleeping in odd places such as classroom, meeting rooms, and public transport conveyors.
Among students, this problem is constant and growing as they a lot of them lose sleep in a bid to meet many assignment deadlines while creating adequate time to study materials and execute research as well.
If you’re struggling with this problem and need to learn how to not fall asleep in class, you will find this guide very resourceful. I will outline simple practical steps that will help you avoid sleeping in class or any other place that isn’t your bedroom.
Table of contents
What Are The Common Causes of Poor Sleep?
A lot of students fall asleep in class because of poor sleep. According to Dana, sleep deprivation makes us moody and irritable and impairs brain functions such as memory and decision-making.
So, now you understand the harm that sleeplessness or poor sleeping can do to your mind, you need to consider the circumstances that make you lose sleep in the night, making you fall asleep in class. Some common causes of poor sleep include:
Stress
When you face abnormal stress levels, this can affect your sleep in a lot of ways. As a student, this stress usually emanates from irrehular class schedules and added activities. Additionally, if you experience a really traumatizing situtation, you can experience chronic stress, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Due to a constant practice of sleeplessness, your body can adopt a new practice. The inability to sleep may itself become a source of stress, making it increasingly harder to break the cycle of stress and insomnia.
Researchers believe many people are vulnerable to stress-induced sleeping problems. We can categorize these people as people with high “sleep reactivity,” which is tied to other issues affecting their sleep and their physical and mental health.
Irregular Sleep Schedules
Normally, everyone’s body is programmed to follow the daily pattern of day and night. However, today many people have sleep schedules that don’t have cheated this pattern and become gradually habitual.
Two well-known examples are jet lag and shift work. Jet lag disturbs sleep when you can’t adjust to an immediate change in time zone. On the other hand, shift work demands you work through the night and sleep during the day. These two situations can spoil your sleep cycle.
Lifestyle
When you have poor health habits, you increase your chances of having sleepless nights. Activities like working late, using bright electronic devices, and not using your bedtime are some popular poor sleeping practices.
There are certain stimulants that make it harder to get to sleep and potentially contribute to insomnia when you use them in the afternoon and evening – nicotine and caffeine are two outstanding examples. Drinking alcohol can change your sleeping cycle because of its high sedatives. Avoiding late-night meals can help you avoid falling asleep in class.
Illness
The slightest pain can cause a lot of discomfort when you’re sleeping. When you dwell on the pain, it only exarcebates it. So, you would need to find a new sleeping position wherein you will not experience any pain and this is usually difficult.
Physical injuries and illnesses that have to do with the nervous system can cause you a lot of pain and this will overthrow any sleeping habit you have.
Mental Problems
Mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder are strong causes of sleeping problems. According to UTSWED, 40% of people with insomnia have a mental health disorder.
These conditions are the strongest causes of pervasive negative thoughts and mental hyperarousal that make sleep difficult. Additionally, studies show that insomnia can worsen mood and anxiety disorders, making it difficult for you to sleep.
How to Not Fall Asleep in Class | Tips to Stay Focused
If you’re a victim of falling asleep in class, then you need to adopt measures to ensure you don’t keep practicing this poor habit. Even you’ve had little or no sleep prequel to your class, by following these tips, you would avoid sleeping in class.
1. Sit At The Front Row In Class
When you’re close to your educator, it serves as a great motivation to stay awake in class. In that position, you pay closer attention and can easily ask questions when you need clarification in any ongoing conversation at that time.
2. Take a Deep Breath
Taking deep breaths is another great technique that shows you how not to fall asleep in class. By taking deep breaths, you fuel your body with energy from your lungs, which will in turn keep your eyes sharper and help you stay focused.
3. Interact With The Educator
Interacting with your Educator or teacher is a great way to arouse yourself from any sleepy feelings. By constantly interacting with your educator, you’re mentally alert to pick up crucial points while strengthening your understanding of the teaching.
4. Soliloquize Frequently
Many people feel soliloquizing is odd. Well, soliloquizing helps you retain information speedily and easily too. When you feel like sleeping, you can soliloquize taking into memory some of the conversations you have had with your educator.
5. Take Notes
Scribbling key points down in a piece of paper will help you easily connect every part of the conversations you had in class. Additonally, it will help you not to fall asleep in class as your mind will be picking up what it needs to jot down.
6. Constantly Adjust the Sitting Position
Sitting in a singular position can make easily fall asleep especially when you haven’t gotten enough rest. If you find yourself with drowsy eyes in class, you should start adjusting your sitting position frequently.
7. Snack
If you can’t seem to get the sleepiness off your eyes, then you can snack while you’re in class. By snacking, your mouth does a lot of work which will keep you alert for that period of time. Very importantly, when making a choice of a snack, stick with crispy snacks that don’t draw attention.
8. Drink Water Frequently
Drinking water helps you stay awake. According to Cigna, a splash of cold water over your face will draw your circulation upward, toward your head, temporarily renewing your energy, making you feel more awake.
9. Eat Well During The Day
Fatigue can make you sleepy. When you eat late and unorderly, it causes your body to drag, hence, making you sleep more often. By eating well during the day and eating less at night, your body has enough fuel to be active, which will make you avoid sleeping in class.
10. Get Enough Sleep At Night
Many people will say, “It’s difficult to cheat nature.” Hence, if you don’t sleep when you’re supposed to sleep, you’ll take a much more extended rest whenever you decide to sleep. As a student, you can avoid sleeping in class when you get enough sleep a night before.
Conclusion
Sleeping in class is often the cause of a poor sleep cycle or an illness. You should ensure you try as much as you can to eat healthy, exercise and avoid excessively strenuous assignments when possible.
By taking into consideration this part of your health, your mind will get sharper and you will not fall asleep in class or any sort of gathering.
References
- Sleep Foundation – What Causes Insomnia
- Cigna – How to Stay Awake at Work
- UTSWED – Sleep disorders and mental illness go hand in hand
- Dana – The Sleep Deprived Brain
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