We know how difficult it is for students to stay awake in a boring classroom session. Daily, around 20 to 30% of high school students and 6% of middle school students fall asleep in school. Therefore, for students who are struggling to control their sleep in class, in this blog post, we have suggested some proven tips on how to stay awake in class. If you are a student who is facing a lot of trouble in your class because of sleep, then just follow the list of the best tips shared here. In specific, all these hacks will help you avoid sleep in your class and save you from the punishment given by your instructor.
Before looking at the best ways to stay awake in class, first, let us see the major reasons why students feel sleepy during lectures.
Reasons Why Students Feel Sleepy in the Classroom
Students of all age groups often sleep in class due to various reasons. Here, let us have a look at some common reasons why students regularly fall asleep in class.
- Boring and less interactive session.
- Attending classes after consuming lunch.
- Lack of sleep due to late-night study.
- Improper sleep because of tiring part-time jobs.
- Irregular sleep cycle because of watching movies and web series at night.
Remember, if you find the exact reason why you fall asleep in class, then you can easily sort out this issue. So, before jumping to the list of effective strategies to avoid sleep in class, make sure to figure out the real reason why you are tired and bored of attending classes. Mostly, going to bed early will help you fix this problem.
Also read: Excellent Classification Essay Topics and Ideas To Consider
How to Stay Awake in Class- 20 Amazing Tips
In case, you can’t sit and attend your classes for a long time, follow the tips and tricks shared below. All the strategies recommended here will stop you from falling asleep in class by doing assignment writing help.
1. Eat Light before Class
You will not have energy and will feel sleepy if you don’t eat before your class. Sometimes hungriness will prevent you from concentrating on your lecture and will make you tired. So, try to have some food before attending your class. But do not have a large meal because a full stomach will also induce you to take a nap. Instead of attending classes on an empty stomach, eat light energy-giving snacks such as nuts, fruits, and salads.
2. Try Acupressure
This is one of the best techniques for how to stay awake in class. Unfortunately, several students do not know about this strategy. Acupressure will help you to stay active throughout your classroom session. To do acupressure, it is important to know the specific spot on the body where you need to give pressure. Trying acupressure will make your body stay alert during your class.
Some effective acupressure points in your body are the area between the point finger and thumb, the top of the head, between the thumb and the forefinger, the soles of the feet, the lower back and the middle of the spinal cord, and beneath the kneecaps.
3. Stay Hydrated
Drinking water is one of the simpler and healthier options than taking caffeine products. Most of the time, dehydration will affect the oxygen flow to your brain and will make you fatigued. So, always take a bottle of water to your class and drink it often whenever you feel tired. Staying hydrated will keep you active in your class.
4. Take Naps
Naps are one of the greatest energy boosters. If you are unsure of how to stay awake in class, take a 5 to 20-minute nap between one class and another class or during lunch hours. Having a good quality short sleep will help you stay more energetic and alert throughout your school day. Never take a nap during class hours.
5. Inhale Fresh Air
Breathing fresh air will be refreshing for you. If you are stuck in a closed space or a classroom, open the window and take a deep breath. Inhaling fresh air will keep your brain active and will prevent you from falling asleep in class.
6. Wash your Face
If you feel sleepy, then quickly splash water on your face. This is one of the effective methods that will help you avoid sleep in your class. Use cold water because only it can make your body show a quick response. Most importantly, water will stimulate your skin and brain and can help you to be energetic.
7. Maintain a Good Posture
Body posture can influence the mood of a person. In general, when you sit up straight, your body can take in 30 percent more oxygen than when you slouch. Therefore, while attending classes, maintain a good posture by sitting straight. This will help you with how to stay awake in class. Also, a study has demonstrated that adopting a posture will increase the level of confidence and productivity.
8. Chew Gum or Mints
A study shows that chewing gum will keep your mind alert. So, during free time or before your classes start, chew gums or try mint for refreshment. Chewing gums is one of the highly recommended ways how to stay awake in class because it will lessen tiredness, boost energy, and enhance alertness. Never chew gums while attending your class or else you will end up getting punishment from your teacher.
9. Use Any Essential Oil
A lot of students do not prefer this method. But essential oils will do wonders and will help you stay awake in class. Most significantly, it can make you feel energetic and alert. Some essential oils will hurt your skin. So, know your skin type and choose the appropriate essential oil. To get better results, massage your feet and hands with the essential oil.
10. Move around
This is one of the healthier ways for how to stay awake in class. Sitting in a place continuously for long hours will make you feel tired. So, before your class begins, move around to keep your body active. Moreover, walking for a few minutes will bring more relaxation to your mind and will aid you in avoiding sleep during lectures.
11. Sit at the Front Desk
If you want to stay awake in class, sit at the front desk. Studies have demonstrated that students score better on exams when they sit at the front desk of the classroom. Usually, when you occupy the front desk, your teacher will observe you closely and so you will push yourself to concentrate on the lessons instead of sleeping.
12. Take a Short Break
Are you struggling to control your sleep in class? Get permission from your teacher and take an activity, drinks, or toilet break. During these short breaks, you can recharge yourself by engaging in physical activities. For example, simply moving from your classroom to the toilet will keep your brain active and will help you to stay awake in class.
13. Do Some Exercise before Class
In case, you feel too sleepy, before you attend your class, do jumping jacks or simple stretching exercises. Moving your body will elevate your energy level and help you in staying awake in class.
14. Take Notes
This is one of the productive ways how to stay awake in class. Listen to what your teacher says and take notes. When you listen, your concentration will be only on your teacher so you will not feel tired. Moreover, taking notes during lectures will also be useful for you during exam preparation.
15. Participate in Classroom Discussion
If you sit idle in your online class help without paying attention to your teachers, you will feel sleepy. Instead of daydreaming, stay active in your class, participate in classroom activities, and ask for doubts. In this way, you can keep yourself engaged in class and avoid sleeping.
16. Have a cup of tea or coffee
By having a cup of tea or coffee, you get to stay awake in class. Downing coffee tea or any other caffeinated beverage can be effective in jolting your senses to make you stay awake. The caffeine present in coffee can increase energy and block sleep-promoting receptors in your brain to help you stay alert and awake in class.
17. Create a sleep schedule and stick to it
A key to staying awake in class is to get a good amount of sleep at night, which, in turn, means less daytime sleepiness. To ensure this, you need to have a sleep schedule to follow for wake-up time and bedtime. Sleeping and waking up at almost the same time every day can help you set your body’s natural clock to know when it needs to sleep and when it is time to stay awake and learn.
18. Change your seat
Sitting in one seat for a long time during a long-duration lecture class might make you feel sleepy or have an unplanned nap. It is a little tougher to fall asleep if you are in the front row or a few meters from the lecturer/teacher. Changing seats or moving from one bench to another can make you stay awake in class.
19. Avoid wearing comfier outfits
A student can feel more like paying attention, sitting up for a long time in the same place, and working if she/he wears business-like or professional clothes instead of comfier outfits. It can make the student stay focused on the activities and things happening around and in front of you. Therefore, to stay awake in class, you need to wear professional clothes or similar types of clothing instead of comfier outfits.
20. Sit straight
Sitting straight helps to stay awake in class. It also makes you feel more energized throughout a day in school or college. Slouching can cause one’s body to take in 30% less oxygen compared to sitting up straight. Thus, it is good to sit straight to stay awake in class.
Also read: Interesting Things to Do When Bored in a Class
What Drinks Help to Stay Awake in Class?
If you want to stay awake in class, then to boost your energy, you can drink any of the following.
- Green Tea
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Wheatgrass Juice
- Coconut Water
- Green Smoothie
- Golden Milk
- Lemon Water
Always drink healthy beverages. To stay awake in class, many people recommend cigarettes or energy drinks. However, these things do more harm than good. So avoid them. To be active in class, never take pills. Also, do not drink alcohol and coffee to keep your brain active.
Know How to Improve Your Sleep Schedule
If you are frequently fatigued during class, you may be receiving insufficient sleep at night. Inadequate sleep can also have an impact on academic performance. Therefore, practicing excellent sleep hygiene is typically an effective strategy to optimize your bedtime routine and obtain more rest. Take into account the following tips to establish a regular sleep schedule:
- Don’t take naps in the late afternoon.
- Set your alarm to awaken every morning at the same time.
- Every night, go to bed at roughly the same time.
- Before going to bed, try something calming to decompress.
- Make sure the bedroom is kept dark at night and receives lots of sunlight throughout the day.
- Avoid using devices right before bed.
- Keep moving throughout the day.
Occasionally, an underlying sleep issue is the cause of insufficient sleep. Consider speaking with your doctor to get more support if, despite improving your sleep hygiene, you still feel exhausted during the day.
Conclusion
It is normal to feel drowsy during a lengthy school lecture, regardless of how much sleep you get at night. However, you should not make it a routine. Instead, follow the above-listed proven tips for staying awake in class. You will feel a difference in your performance if you try any specific hack to be active. Moreover, you can also make certain changes to your lifestyle or sleep pattern to keep your brain in an alert state. In case, you need any other effective strategy to stay awake in class, reach out to us immediately. The academic experts from our team will help you fix this problem.
