Staying Awake

[Garamin]

I dont know if this should be put in here,or A&E,or where at,so move it need be.

I am having trouble staying awake in school.My class hours are from 4:10 until 8:30,,Monday-Thursday,and i have been having trouble staying awake in second block,right after dinner.The class is study hall,nice and quite,good lighting and what-not.Does anyone have any tips to help me make it through the class?I think my big problem is the quietness,i am never around almost complete silence,be it radio,conversation,or TV.

I have tried no-doz,high caffeine drinks,humming songs,just about anything i can get away with to stay awake,but its not helping.Any help,tips,or anything else is much appreciated.

 

[ExploringOne]

It helps if you're well rested before class. I've splept through enough classes to know exactly what you're talking about.

As near as I can figure, I always fell asleep from boredom. Even if you don't feel bored, your mind does...

Anyway, caffeine helps. Listening to music in one ear helps. Try doing something else productive while in class, such as calc homework. Basically you need to keep your mind active. Crossoword puzzles, word searches.

Also helps if you aren't comfortable seating. put a book behind your back or something. The discomfort will help keep you more alert.

I'm a very stong believer in multi-tasking, so, if i had to go back to class, i think i'd bring along my PSP, play some racing game or something. Keep my eyes and hand occupied, and just listen to the lecture.

Oh one last thing, sometimes it is just a very boring professor. In this case, really nothing you can do. If you have friends in the class, I reccomend rotating who goes on what day, then just share the notes...

 

[Garamin]

Its an alternative school,so the psp wont cut it.But the crosswords/sudko tyrp things,and the music i can pass off in my shirt collar.And i am trying to cut out caffine before i ship off to basic,and i have a very high tolerance to it(i took 3 no-doz pills right before class,was awake for about 20 minutes)

But thanks for the tips man

 

[Quiksilver]

It's because you're eating right after dinner.

Try eating a snack two hours before dinner, so you don't eat as much at the dinner table. That way your body won't be using all of its energy to metabolize of the food.

 

[ExploringOne]

i took 3 no-doz pills right before class,was awake for about 20 minutes

I would definately cut out the caffeine if I were you. I used to almost OD on no doz in college, now days i try to stay away from it like the plague, except when I want an actual boost.

My advice, quite honestly, have your doctor prescribe adderall. For me atleast it had alot of the same effects as caffeine, but stronger, and without alot of the side effects.

Anything over 1000mg of caffeine gets dangerous. One no doz is 200mg.

 

[Throttle]

suggestion: re-arrange your eating patterns so that you're not eating dinner right in the middle of that 4 hour block; instead, eat something that is not carb-intensive before that (say protein+veggies), and snack on something in between like nuts or cheese.

caffeine, as you've noted, gives diminishing returns. i find it's better for disrupting sleep patterns (awake at the wrong time) than keeping you awake (at the right time). and disrupted sleep can lead right to where you are.

also, it depends on the rest of your day, but if your sched is flexible you might try a later sleep cycle (2am-10am or even later rather than 10pm-6am or 12a-8a like most people).