Avoid sleep while studying

Vijay Garg
Sleep becomes the biggest hurdle when you have to study for long hours at night to prepare for any important test or exam. It seems like pulling you back from reaching your goal. When you study with a fresh mind in morning, it becomes quite easy to grab things, but at certain periods like in the afternoon and at late night, sleep becomes inevitable as you try to stretch your study hours. Actually, it happens when you are restless. At such times, you are left with two options; the first is keeping the books aside and lie down to take rest and the second is fighting against the drowsiness to keep yourself awake. But sleeping while studying is too easy, the real deal is to ditch sleep and stay awake.

1. Keep study room well-lighted
   The biggest mistake most of the students make is studying with just a table lamp lit in the whole room due to which a significant portion of room remains dark, promoting a cosy environment which would eventually make you more tempted to go to that charming bed with dim surroundings. So, to avoid such a comfy situation, keep your room bright and well lighted.
2. Sit in chair, not on bed
   Your sitting position also matters a lot while studying for long hours. Try to seat yourself in a chair with back support and a table in front. It will help you stay active and alert while studying. On the other hand, if you lie on your bed while studying you may get into lazy mode, eventually making you feel sleepy. While sitting on the chair, keep moving your body parts at regular intervals so that you don’t go into dormancy.
3. Avoid heavy meals
   We’ve all felt that drowsy feeling that sneaks in after a meal and if you have to study with such a snoozing mood then no one can help it. Actually, after having a heavy meal, you are full and relaxed and you are struggling to keep your eyes open. The lethargy that comes after consuming a heavy diet diminishes the retention power. Also, when you feel lazy, you are more likely to hit the bed. But don’t think that you will have to go on starvation to avoid this sluggishness. Instead, you should take your meals early and opt for small meals.
4. Drink lots of water
   Here, water is being recommended not only to keep you hydrated but also to keep you alert. Actually, it’s the best trick that most of students apply while studying. When you drink a considerable quantity of water, you will have to make frequent trips to bathroom for a pee, keeping you moving and alert. Moreover, drinking an adequate quantity of water helps to keep brain well-hydrated, increasing its memory and retention power.
5. Follow ‘Early to Bed, Early to Rise’
   This comes from a famous saying, “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”. This is absolutely true because if you manage to go to sleep early at night, then you will get adequate sleep, waking-up to a fresh and energetic day. With a fresh mind, you can concentrate on your studies quite well. A fresh mind has a better concentration power to retain information.
6. Take a nap in afternoon
   If you have been continuously studying since morning, then an afternoon nap is a must to save your brain from getting exhausted. It would also help you avoid sleep during studying late at night. A short nap is enough to keep you alert keeping the drowsiness away.
7. Keep your body parts alert, awake
   If you keep on studying with the same stagnant position for long hours, then you are more likely to get surrounded by laziness and drowsiness. So, the moment you start feeling sleepy, get up from your chair and move around in your room and stretch your legs and arms.
   You may study while walking around your room. It has been observed that study while walking, not only helps in avoiding sleep but also enhances concentration.
8. Read out aloud while studying
   This trick works really well to keep away the lethargy. It minimises the chances of falling asleep while studying. It has something to do with listening to your own voice. Try to teach yourself like the teacher explains a topic in the classroom. This will not only help to throw away drowsiness but also to improve your learning power.