How to Stay Awake & Alert While Studying (without Coffee!)
October 29th, 2007 Jamie
With midterms and final exams rearing their very ugly heads, you’re probably finding that
study time is increasingly important. Too bad you have a job, clubs, a roommate, friends, family, dorm-room sleep hours (read: 3am bedtime), a cafeteria diet, and a bunch of classes wearing you down. Once you start reading that text book, suddenly a nice nap seems like a much better idea.
Read on to find out how to keep yourself awake, even if you’re studying in the wee hours of the morning:
- Drink a Lot of Water
Remember this from my tips on how to stay awake in class? Well, water is even better for staying up when you’re studying. Dehydration can make you sleepy, so keeping your body hydrated will stave off those symptoms. If you are really sleepy, drink a lot of water to make sure you stay up—if you have to get up to go to the bathroom, it will definitely keep you awake! (Weird, but it works!)
. - Take Breaks
Your brain needs to rest if you want to study hard for a long time AND do well on your test. Schedule out your time so you can take a break—I would study for 45 minutes, break for 15, and so forth. Set the alarm on your cell phone so you don’t forget (or if you’re afraid you’ll fall asleep). Watch a TV show, talk to a friend, read a book, or listen to some music—but nothing school related at all!
. - Exercise
Exercise can be a great way to wake yourself up—take a short walk, dance to some music on your iPod, or head over to the gym for a little while. Taking a shower after a workout can wake you up even more.
. - Don’t Study Somewhere Comfortable
Don’t curl up on the common room couch or lean against some pillows in bed and expect to make it through 50 pages of text—getting comfortable is a sure fire way to sleep through your study time. Go somewhere with good, strong lighting, a non-squishy chair, and a table or desk. Sit up while you study, and change positions now and then.
. - Eat a Snack
Get your blood sugar up by eating a healthy snack (junk food will just give you a burst of energy but then you’ll crash). Apples are a good food to help you keep your blood sugar stable so you can stay awake (a lot of people say they will wake you up better than caffeine!)
Remember, I also shared some ideas to help you stay awake in class, so if you’re really sleepy, you might want to try those, too! Good luck!
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How do you stay awake during study time or worse–all-nighters? Any other study tips you couldn’t do without?
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16 Comments Add your own
1. EXAM FREAK | December 19th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
OK WELL I AM GOING TO TRY THESE IDEAS BUT IT WILL BE VERY HARD FOR ME OK BI
2. Jamie | December 19th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
@ Exam Freak: I think staying awake during finals week is hard for everyone! Good luck!
3. karen | January 2nd, 2008 at 9:27 am
thank u i hope these ideas work for me
4. Jamie | January 2nd, 2008 at 10:08 am
@ Karen: me too–good luck!
5. fiona | January 16th, 2008 at 12:18 am
thankss i just seem to fall alseep EVERYTIME i open my book hopefully i’ll do better in tomorrow’s exam
6. Jamie | January 16th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
@ fiona: no problem, i really hope it helps. Good luck on your exam!
7. j.cool24 | March 11th, 2008 at 12:56 am
I dont know if I can do this,but thanks anyway. What time of the day can u say is the most appropriate time to study? Wawiting for your reply…
8. Jamie | March 11th, 2008 at 8:17 am
@ j.cool24: I’d say the best time to study differs for different people. Choose the time of day when you usually feel most awake. If you’re a morning person, study before classes. I usually studied between 4 - 8 p.m., except during finals week when I pretty much studied non-stop.
Also, figure out your “cut-off time.” For me, it was 8 p.m.–at that point my brain got sleepy and any studying I did was ineffective, so I tried to get it all done before then.
9. Amy | March 30th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Ok I’ll try i have 2 finish 6 more homeworks by 6 am and now it’s 1:05
10. Nichole | May 4th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Actually, the best time to study is the same time you typically have your tests or classes (on different days). The research is called “state-dependent” memory cuing. Basically, you should study in a state (alertness, environment, hunger level) as close as possible to what your state will be during your test.
11. Jamie | May 5th, 2008 at 8:14 am
@ Nichole: That’s a great point–I’ve heard that, too, but I never found it practical. But if you can work your schedule around it and discipline yourself (not listen to music, munch on snacks, etc), it is definitely supposed to make a difference. Anybody actually tried this?
12. Lydia | June 9th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
i like to drink lots of water and tea,.. and eat small snacks :)… during breaks, i like to play a game in between or take a walk outside….
13. Jamie | June 10th, 2008 at 8:09 am
@ Lydia: Taking a walk is a great idea. I do that a work, too, when I’m having a really hard time concentrating. Somehow the fresh air & outdoors helps me get my head back in the game. : )
14. me | August 12th, 2008 at 7:58 am
who are you jamie? what credentials do you have?
where did you go to school?
what was your major and your GPA?
if available, what was your class rank?
thank you
15. me | August 12th, 2008 at 8:02 am
oops- i know where you go, i found the “About” section.
your major and your GPA still, however, elude me…
16. Jamie | August 12th, 2008 at 8:21 am
I majored in Lit/Writing with a minor in Psychology. A lot of friends & relatives have majored in Bio, Pre-Med, etc. so I take note of the differences between the science and arts majors (you’ll see their experiences come up in some of my posts about med school, too).
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