3 days cant sleep :) exam in 5 days

[alisepeep]

omg ive never been an anxious person but this test is making me crazy, i havent slept in 3 days and i dont feel tired..i try to close my eyes but all i have running thru my head are medication names, i have heart palpitations and diaphoresis just thinking about the test...i really need to make sure i get sleep before my exam..anyone else in this boat? what are u doing to help?

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[survivordo]

My friend, you need to calm down. I hope you are over exaggerating because if you are having palpitations before the exam what is going to happen when you actually sit for it??

You just have to remind yourself that you have prepared as completely as was possible for you and that you have done well on practice tests etc...

Take a benadryl or something to get to sleep these next couple nights but I would NOT recommend it the night before the exam,.. don't wanna be groggy.

Survivor DO

 

[Etorphine]

Calm down.

Don't do anything related to Step 1 for exactly 60 minutes before bed time. Decompress during this time, and just do something boring, like taking a shower.

When you go to bed, block out all sources of light in the room, and try and cool down room temperature to slighly chilly (~60F).

If you still have thoughts about Step 1, life etc., imagine yourself physically taking these thoughts and putting them in a chest drawer and locking it tight. You can deal with these problems tomorrow. Also, instead of thinking, "I want to go to sleep now," tell your brain "let's see how long I can fight the sleepiness and stay awake," and eventually you might get tired of fighting it and go to sleep. Reverse psychology.

I would NOT recommend taking benadryl (dipenhydramine), as it may interfere with the quality of your sleep. Even 2-3 days before, I would not take it. If need be, there are better pharmeceuticals out there, but please consult with your physician.

 

[skyblue2000]

My nighttime regiment: Hot glass of milk and 30-45 mins of Conan! Works great!!

 

[tiedyeddog]

sleep is for chumps, my friend


jk, I also have trouble sleeping. 🙁 try melatonin.

 

[CassieBagley]

Just so you don't feel alone, I also am having trouble falling asleep, and my exam is in about a week. On a few number of nights it's taken me about 3 hours of tossing and turning before passing out. Clearly, Step 1 related stress, as I havent had this happen before for such an extended number of weeks. Recently, I have been trying to work out on a more regular basis and forcing myself to watch Netflix before bed, which have helped. I also am realizing that even if I lose 3 hours trying to fall asleep, and then sleep for 8 hours, that there's still approximately 11-13 hours of solid study time, so it's really not that much of a loss.

 

[Etorphine]

.

 

[CassieBagley]

nothing

 

[Choo]

Stop taking whatever you are taking, and you should be able to sleep.

 

[alisepeep]

Stop taking whatever you are taking, and you should be able to sleep.

thats the funny part..im not taking anything

 

[rueby25]

+1 for proper sleep hygiene. No step 1 within an hour of bed. Really you shouldn't watch tv either. Most say reading a book works well (novel). A hot shower works well also, as the subsequent drop in body temp triggers sleepiness. Make sure you're not using your bed for anything else. Make it as dark as possible and cool.

Do NOT use alcohol or Benadryl as a sleep aid. As you should know from your studies, both inhibit REM sleep. A small dose of melatonin is ok, but I would try these other steps first, especially this close to your test date.

 

[startswithb]

I've learned that I can study before bed. The past two nights I've had pages of first aid streaming through my head, then waking up thinking about multiple choice questions, and that repeats for 2-3 hours before I actually sleep well.

 

[Anastomoses]

sleep is for chumps, my friend


jk, I also have trouble sleeping. 🙁 try melatonin.

melatonin gives me very uncomfortable sleep and sometimes even nightmares.

thats the funny part..im not taking anything

alispeep...I'm sure I'm going to have trouble sleeping when it comes too - from all the excitement and eagerness. Are you totally comfortable about your preparation? As long as it isn't anxiety...and you're actually just excited...I think it's healthy! I have this problem often from even low importance exams.

 

[CDI]

Easiest way to fall asleep...do some UWorld questions. 😴

(Joking, but seriously sometimes I would fall asleep while doing them. NBMEs are even worse...)

Working out always helps me...(earlier in the day of course)

 

[rueby25]

...I'm sure I'm going to have trouble sleeping when it comes too - from all the excitement and eagerness. Are you totally comfortable about your preparation? As long as it isn't anxiety...and you're actually just excited...I think it's healthy! I have this problem often from even low importance exams.

Sleep disturbance is not healthy. Period.

Also, she didn't say it wasn't anxiety. She said she has never been an anxious person. Racing thoughts, diaphoresis, and insomnia are classic for anxiety...

 

[CassieBagley]

nothing

 

[John Lannister]

Exercise 1 hour.

Still can't sleep?

Exercise 2 hours the next day.

Still can't sleep?

Exercise 3 hours at extreme intensity (2 session - morning, evening) - or maybe hike 2 hours then do weight later, get creative.

I guarantee if you work out hard (1/2 cardio, 1/2 weights) then you will sleep.

Don't do this: Sit on your ass all day and stress or freak out, then try to sleep. Exercise was designed to help eliminate anxiety.

 

[Etorphine]

Exercise 1 hour.

Still can't sleep?

Exercise 2 hours the next day.

Still can't sleep?

Exercise 3 hours at extreme intensity (2 session - morning, evening) - or maybe hike 2 hours then do weight later, get creative.

I guarantee if you work out hard (1/2 cardio, 1/2 weights) then you will sleep.

Don't do this: Sit on your ass all day and stress or freak out, then try to sleep. Exercise was designed to help eliminate anxiety.

Great suggestion. Just make sure not to exercise too close to bed (IE don't run 3 miles at 10 PM), and this should really help you.

 

[NVWolfPack]

Hot tub at night my friend.

 

[JP2740]

Leaf shaped remedy for this

 

[CDI]

Exercise 1 hour.

Still can't sleep?

Exercise 2 hours the next day.

Still can't sleep?

Exercise 3 hours at extreme intensity (2 session - morning, evening) - or maybe hike 2 hours then do weight later, get creative.

I guarantee if you work out hard (1/2 cardio, 1/2 weights) then you will sleep.

Don't do this: Sit on your ass all day and stress or freak out, then try to sleep. Exercise was designed to help eliminate anxiety.

qft.

Step 1 - Just ate, studied, took naps. Never felt right, always restless, constantly stressed out. Never slept right.

CK - Started to lift again or play ball at least an hour every morning. Have set hours for studying. The focus is evident when I study, and my sleep is way more consistent.

 

[CDI]

Leaf shaped remedy for this

-1

This is the reason I ended up an IMG...(jk)

 

[RoboChicken]

I think it's a vicious cycle. It's the stress we place on the importance of sleeping well that last week before the exam that actually prevents us from sleeping. I worried I wouldn't be able to sleep the night before step I and guess what? I couldn't sleep. Self-fullfilling prophecy. That said, I didn't sleep the two nights leading up to my exam and still did well. Tell yourself that NOTHING bad will happen if you don't sleep.
Your brain is NOT a computer that has to "install" all the information you learned ("downloaded") the previous day in order to recall it later. (Someone told me this stupid analogy once and it scared me whenever I recalled it during bouts of insomnia)

 

[D elegans]

Looking back on it, my few days of studying were not that helpful for my performance on Step 1. By that time, it doesn't matter much so long as your mind is somewhat engaged. I would recommend getting some physical exertion and stopping studying even earlier than some people have suggested. Give yourself at least a couple hours to cool down doing something completely unrelated to med school. Watch TV, read something interesting, get out and walk around, anything.

 

[John Lannister]

I think it's a vicious cycle. It's the stress we place on the importance of sleeping well that last week before the exam that actually prevents us from sleeping. I worried I wouldn't be able to sleep the night before step I and guess what? I couldn't sleep. Self-fullfilling prophecy. That said, I didn't sleep the two nights leading up to my exam and still did well. Tell yourself that NOTHING bad will happen if you don't sleep.
Your brain is NOT a computer that has to "install" all the information you learned ("downloaded") the previous day in order to recall it later. (Someone told me this stupid analogy once and it scared me whenever I recalled it during bouts of insomnia)

Actually, that's exactly how your brain works. When we sleep we consolidate our memory.

Losing 1 day of sleep only hurts the previous day's memory though, and since it's taken either years or months to get where you are - one day won't matter except for being sharp/alert that day. Chronic sleep deprivation is similar to being slightly intoxicated.

 

[startswithb]

Actually, that's exactly how your brain works. When we sleep we consolidate our memory.

Losing 1 day of sleep only hurts the previous day's memory though, and since it's taken either years or months to get where you are - one day won't matter except for being sharp/alert that day. Being chronically sleep deprived is similar to being slightly intoxicated.

This is even in First Aid! 😛

 

[John Lannister]

This is even in First Aid! 😛

Lol, nice.

 

[tiedyeddog]

melatonin gives me very uncomfortable sleep and sometimes even nightmares.



alispeep...I'm sure I'm going to have trouble sleeping when it comes too - from all the excitement and eagerness. Are you totally comfortable about your preparation? As long as it isn't anxiety...and you're actually just excited...I think it's healthy! I have this problem often from even low importance exams.

Melatonin gave me nightmares at first, too. :/

I think the ****ty thing about step 1 is that you probably never feel prepared. I don't and I am two days out...

 

[RoboChicken]

Actually, that's exactly how your brain works. When we sleep we consolidate our memory.

Losing 1 day of sleep only hurts the previous day's memory though, and since it's taken either years or months to get where you are - one day won't matter except for being sharp/alert that day. Chronic sleep deprivation is similar to being slightly intoxicated.

Right, sorry. I didn't mean that sleep isn't important to the consolidation of memory, I just mean that it isn't THAT black and white. You won't lose ALL of the previous day's learning just by not sleeping. Our brains are more organic than a machine is what I was getting at. And yes, since the last few days of studying shouldn't really be hardcore new learning, you definitely won't lose the previous weeks or months worth of learning.

 

[572776]

Also, with the fear of not sleeping before the exam, I know Phloston is going to say "get 10 hours" but for some people, like me, I always get 5 or less hours of sleep before major exams. I anticipate I will get around 3 before the Step 1 exam. On some of my most sleepless nights, I scored in the 97th+ percentile for my shelf exams. I think the key is making sure you get enough sleep in the week prior to the exam, or in your case, these next 2 days. That way, even if you only get 3 hours of sleep, you're in a sleep surplus and it doesn't affect you as much. Adrenaline and caffeine will keep you focused for 8 hours. Imagine American soliders in combat during Wold War II, tired as hell, but remaining vigilant as ever for fear of a creeping nearby enemy. Your enemy is Step 1. Your vigilance is supreme, no matter how tired you are, and you will win.

Edit: eh, forgot this forum might have IMGs....replace my WW2 analogy with the soldier of your own country, the same principle applies...

Same goes for me, every time I have trouble sleeping the night before the test, on average I usually score better than when I do get enough sleep 😕 ....the morning of the test I usually feel tired physically but I think faster and more clearly.