Paying attention to the teacher's explanation in class is an important key to achieving maximum academic value. Unfortunately, these attempts often fail because you feel too sleepy in class. Be careful, besides being considered rude, the habit of falling asleep in class is also prone to making you lose important information that needs to be learned. If you're the type of student who often falls asleep in class, read this article for tips on how to deal with it!
Step
Part 1 of 3: Keeping the Body Awake
Step 1. Ask and answer questions
You certainly agree that drowsiness will come more easily if your body is not active. For that, participate as actively as possible in class so that your body and mind are awake.
- Record the teacher's explanation and arrange questions that are relevant to the material. If there's something you don't understand, raise your hand and don't hesitate to ask.
- When your teacher asks a question, don't hesitate to raise your hand and answer the question. Some teachers will even point at you right away if you seem unfocused or sleepy.
Step 2. Get up from your seat and take a short walk
Try asking the teacher for permission to leave class (for example, to go to the toilet). If allowed, get out of class for a short walk or drink a glass of water. Remember, keeping the body active is one of the important keys to not getting sleepy; doing so will help your body and brain to stay alert and focused.
If possible, ask if you can walk around the class silently. Most teachers prefer it if you do it instead of falling asleep in class
Step 3. Stretch and move your body
If you're not allowed out of class, try doing light stretches or moving your arms and legs while remaining seated.
- If you are really sleepy, try standing for a while and doing some light stretching. Move your head left and right to make your neck muscles more flexible; After that, gently rotate your waist area to stretch the stiff back muscles.
- Stretch your leg muscles by straightening them under the table. While doing this, straighten your arms to maximize the stretching process.
Step 4. Activate your body and hands while listening to the teacher's explanation
Like stretching, activating your limbs by constantly moving them is also effective at keeping you awake in class. However, make sure you do it silently so as not to disturb the concentration of other students.
- Slowly, tap your feet against the floor and your fingers against the table.
- Position the soles of your feet so that they are flat on the floor. After that, lift and lower your legs silently as if you were walking.
- Twist the pen with your fingers or tap it in the air.
Step 5. Open the window
Poor ventilation can make you sleepy. To prevent this from happening, try asking your teacher to open the windows to improve air circulation in the classroom.
- If possible, sit by a window so you can open and close it yourself.
- If the situation doesn't allow you to open the window, try bringing a small fan that you can use whenever you feel sleepy or tired.
Step 6. Splash water on your face
You can ask permission to go to the bathroom to do this or bring a bottle of water to class. Like washing your face, splashing water on your face is also effective at increasing your alertness quickly.
If you decide to do this in class, don't forget to bring a small towel to dry your face
Part 2 of 3: Keeping the Body Energized
Step 1. Eat a healthy breakfast
Avoid cereals and sugar-rich snacks that are prone to making you sleepy in the morning. Instead, choose a breakfast menu that is rich in protein, carbohydrates, and calcium such as:
- Fruits and peanut butter bread
- Fruit and vegetable smoothies topped with cow's milk, soy milk, or almond milk
- Bowl of oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts
- Burrito with nuts, avocado and greens
- Healthy muffins
Step 2. Start the day with exercise
Powerful exercise pumps blood and oxygen to all body cells, and releases hormones that can make you sleep better. Starting the day with exercise will not only make you sleep better at night, it will also make your body better prepared for the day. Instead, do the following exercises for 30 minutes every morning:
- Jog and run
- Swimming
- Aerobics such as jumping jacks, jumping rope, or running on the spot
- Bicycle
Step 3. Avoid foods that are high in sugar and caffeine
Consuming too much sugar and caffeine (such as those found in candy, soft drinks, chocolate bars, and juices) is prone to making you drowsy and falling asleep in class.
- Caffeine levels in black tea or coffee can be consumed in reasonable amounts. Remember, it's better to take a little at a time throughout the day than a lot at once.
- Avoid energy drinks that are high in sugar and caffeine. In addition to making you sleepy more easily, your health can also be disturbed by it.
Step 4. Eat healthy foods throughout the day
Make sure you always bring a healthy snack to fill your stomach when you feel hungry. Make sure you also eat a balanced menu at lunch and dinner. Believe me, a nutritious and balanced menu can be the optimal fuel for your body. Make sure you eat foods that contain:
- Vitamins and minerals (vegetables and fruits)
- Calcium (green leafy vegetables)
- Low-fat protein (beans and chicken breast)
- Good carbohydrates (bread or pasta made from whole grains and potatoes)
- Unsaturated fats (grains, avocados, and nuts)
- Healthy snacks such as plain crackers, crackers and cheese, vegetables and hummus, fruits, yogurt, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits.
Part 3 of 3: Improving Sleep
Step 1. Never sacrifice sleep
Generally, schoolchildren and college students have a lot of responsibilities; as a result, they often sacrifice sleep time to complete all these responsibilities. Be careful, lack of sleep will make you tired in going through the day. As a result, it's easier for you to fall asleep in class and have trouble concentrating throughout the day.
- If too much work reduces your sleep time, try negotiating with your boss at work. If you have too much homework to do, try asking your teacher to give you more assignments in class so you don't have to take them home. If you spend most of your time traveling with friends, try joining social events only on the weekends.
- For students over the age of 12, you need 7-10 hours of sleep each night to function optimally the next day. If you are under 12 years old, you usually need about 11 hours of sleep each night.
- If you are sleep deprived and feel sleepy, don't drink coffee! Caffeine levels in coffee will actually make it difficult for you to go back to sleep afterward; As a result, you are prone to getting stuck in a prolonged cycle of fatigue.
Step 2. Go to bed at the same time every night
Even though it seems childish, having hours of sleep can improve the quality of your sleep in an instant, you know. This routine is especially important for those of you who often have trouble sleeping at night. Try to get your body used to going to bed and waking up at the same time; surely, afterwards you will find it easier to sleep at night.
- If you go to bed at the same time but still feel tired when you wake up, try going to bed an hour earlier than usual. After that, see if the extra sleep can increase your energy in the morning.
- Make sure you go to bed at the same time every day, including on weekends or holidays.
Step 3. Avoid exercise, heavy meals, and bright light before bed
There are several things that have been shown to make it difficult for you to sleep and/or reduce the quality of your sleep. To avoid this, make sure you:
- Do not exercise at least three hours before bed. Exercise can increase the production of hormones and oxygen which makes your body more energetic. As a result, you will find it difficult to fall asleep afterwards.
- Do not eat a heavy meal a few hours before bed. Too full will mess up your digestive process; as a result, your stomach will feel uncomfortable and risk making it difficult for you to sleep at night.
- Dim the room lights and avoid screen gadgets at least half an hour before bed. Be careful, light from lights and gadget screens can disrupt the circadian rhythm which is responsible for your body's sleep and wake hours.
Step 4. Identify various medical disorders that can disrupt your sleep
Remember, sleep is a very important activity to maintain your mental, physical and emotional health. Unfortunately, there are some conditions that make it difficult for a person to fall asleep (or have difficulty staying asleep) at night. If you experience any of these, contact your doctor or professional therapist immediately. Some sleep disorders that are medical in nature are:
- Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) and restless legs syndrome (RLS) are neurological disorders that make a person want to keep moving their legs and arms while sleeping.
- Sleep apnea or sleep deprivation is a health disorder that has the potential to make you stop breathing during sleep. As a result, you will often wake up so you do not experience quality sleep.
- Insomnia is a person's inability to sleep. Generally, insomnia is caused by psychological disorders such as stress or other medical disorders. Generally, most people have experienced short-term insomnia. However, if your insomnia persists and interferes with your daily life, try seeking medical advice from a doctor or professional therapist.
- Narcolepsy is a health disorder that causes a person to fall asleep suddenly, for example when they are eating, riding the bus, partying, or attending class.
