Staying awake during lecture.

[carn311]

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I cant do it.
10 minutes and I'm gone. Good lecture or bad lecture. Sleep or no sleep the night before. Coffee or no coffee.

Even if I take notes my mind wanders and I pass out.

I was never a big lecture attender in undergrad but I've never had this problem before. Is there anyone else that was in the same boat and found a way to stay awake?

 

[SomeDoc]

Eat properly. Coffee won't cut it. Get adequate sleep- regularly.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Don't go to lecture.

 

[carn311]

Don't go to lecture.

This was the plan all through anatomy and I feel it hurt me.
I want to pull this off so that going in is at least an option! lol

Eating sounds like a decent idea...

 

[Abilene85]

I have been having this problem, too. And this isn't helpful, but it must be common enough for a stereotype:

[YOUTUBE]http://youtube.com/watch?v=Aole8XE0mo0[/YOUTUBE]

 

[johnnyb255]

Don't go to lecture.

This was my only solution. I figured if I'm going to sleep in a noisy room on a wooden board surrounded by students, I might as well just sleep in my comfy bed.

Then again I wouldn't exactly hold myself up as a role model.

 

[Chris Knight]

First month of school I drove to class = sleep in lecture.

Since riding bike = wide awake.

not sure if its an option for you, but you really need to give yourself some time to wake up before you sit down in a lecture hall. You can either go to sleep early/wake up early and give yourself a couple hours to get going in the morning or do something to get that blood moving to your head.

 

[remo]

Red Bull, Monster or Rock Star. Much bigger kick than coffee.

 

[fantasty]

Intense mints (starbucks, altoids, etc). Work as well as drinking something, for me at least.

 

[njbmd]

I cant do it.
10 minutes and I'm gone. Good lecture or bad lecture. Sleep or no sleep the night before. Coffee or no coffee.

Even if I take notes my mind wanders and I pass out.

I was never a big lecture attender in undergrad but I've never had this problem before. Is there anyone else that was in the same boat and found a way to stay awake?

First of all, make sure you don't have a physical cause for your excessive sleepiness. (I will leave this to you and your primary care physician to figure out.)

Barring no physical reason, I would make an effort to get some regular aerobic exercise even if it's 30 minutes of brisk walking in the evening after dinner. Just get your blood pumping and lungs working for that period of time. A regular swim is also a good thing to do. There is something about being in the water in your own world and letting your mind go where it wants to go. Don't use your exercise session for listening to study tapes (unless you are very pressed right before an exam). You need to use your exercise sessions as a healthful break from study and stress.

Avoid all "chemical" means of staying awake. This includes heavily caffeinated drinks like "Rock Star" "Mountain Dew" and coffee. These drinks cause dehydration which will make you feel even more tired. Opt for water if you feel that you need something. I would also avoid juices (too much sugar).

Make sure that you are getting adequate rest and quality sleep on a regular basis. This means no falling asleep with the telly or radio on and no "sleep aids". Make sure that you bed is used only for sleeping/sex and not for reading and study. The bedroom should not be a second "study hall" but a place where your mind knows it can relax and recreate.

Try to have lighter meals during the day when you need to be alert. A heavy fat-laded breakfast can quickly put you into "food coma". The same thing goes for lunch. Keep your meals on the lighter side with plenty of fiber and complex carbohydrates. You can eat a bit more fat (not the 1 pound Monster burger from Hardies) for your evening meal unless you are watching your weight.

Make sure you have good balance in all aspects of you daily life. Get adequate rest and sleep, eat well (avoiding the junk) and try to get at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week. Make sure that you have some "off" time on the weekends and de-stress any time that you can. Good luck!

 

[KaraKiz]

I have been having this problem, too. And this isn't helpful, but it must be common enough for a stereotype:

[YOUTUBE]http://youtube.com/watch?v=Aole8XE0mo0[/YOUTUBE]

omg thats my school! im actually studying here now in one of 15 identical "small group/study" rooms that was on there.. weird!

(this is also sad b/c the only reason i watched the video was b/c i recognized the coffee cart....)

 

[shantster]

First month of school I drove to class = sleep in lecture.

Since riding bike = wide awake.

not sure if its an option for you, but you really need to give yourself some time to wake up before you sit down in a lecture hall. You can either go to sleep early/wake up early and give yourself a couple hours to get going in the morning or do something to get that blood moving to your head.

Endorphin release is a wonderful natural way to wake up. Exercise is really good for improving concentration and alertness as long as you don't go too strenuous that your body just wants to rest.

Besides exercising, make sure you put the lights on brightly and open the shades if it's light outside. The light will help your body start releasing hormones to wake you up. I'm also a big believer of the eating breakfast and taking some time to wake up. I eat 2 bowls of cereal each morning at a leisurely pace and watch some Sportscenter before getting ready so that my brain has time to get out of the fogginess it's in.

 

[GodoShingo]

Chewing gum will hold you awake. It works well for me.
At least if you fall asleep, you will choke on it, and after the heimleich-maneuver you have an adrenaline rush that keeps you awake.

 

[carn311]

All great tips guys. Thanks.

I've tried exercising (on my way to the gym now) and it actually seems to be helping. This combined with eating during lecture allowed me to make it through 2hrs only falling asleep for 10 minutes!

I think I'm on the road to being rehabilitated...

 

[TrapperJohnMD]

All great tips guys. Thanks.

I've tried exercising (on my way to the gym now) and it actually seems to be helping. This combined with eating during lecture allowed me to make it through 2hrs only falling asleep for 10 minutes!

I think I'm on the road to being rehabilitated...

I had this problem, it sucks no doubt. You feel like you:
1) Wasted time
2) could have slept MUCH better in your own bed/couch/someone elses bed😉
3) could have actually been studying something else

My solution is to only go to the lectures that I think I'll really need/professors that are actually GOOD lecturers.

AND

I sit up in the front row like a big tool bag. If I'm in the back, with my friends, and dim lights I'll start snoring in seconds. For me its hard to pass out when I'm by myself (mostly) in the front 2 rows in direct eye contact with the prof. Plus I record the lectures and just try to listen and follow what he/she is saying. Helps when I go over the hand out and re-listen to the lecture --if it was worth a damn

 

[coffeebythelake]

Chewing gum will hold you awake. It works well for me.

Definitely true. I chew gum whenever I have exams.

 

[LadyWolverine]

omg thats my school! im actually studying here now in one of 15 identical "small group/study" rooms that was on there.. weird!

(this is also sad b/c the only reason i watched the video was b/c i recognized the coffee cart....)

Kara: Did you also notice that Dr. Foxwell is in the video? There's a shot taken from his office. This whole series is from the class of '06 (I think...maybe '05?). My personal favorite is Mr. Awesome Floor Team Avoider.


And, to stay on topic, has the OP tried sitting closer to the front? Or sitting next to a friend who can poke you every time you start to drift off? Another good way to stay awake is to print out the powerpoint slides for that lecture, and actively take notes directly onto the pages. This helps me stay focused in class...maybe if you are actively engaged/writing instead of just listening, you can avoid zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz........

 

[deleted29780]

I cant do it.
10 minutes and I'm gone. Good lecture or bad lecture. Sleep or no sleep the night before. Coffee or no coffee.

Even if I take notes my mind wanders and I pass out.

I was never a big lecture attender in undergrad but I've never had this problem before. Is there anyone else that was in the same boat and found a way to stay awake?

you are definitely not sleeping well enough..😀

 

[KaraKiz]

Kara: Did you also notice that Dr. Foxwell is in the video? There's a shot taken from his office. This whole series is from the class of '06 (I think...maybe '05?). My personal favorite is Mr. Awesome Floor Team Avoider.

I thought it was pretty cool that Dr foxwell let them do that in his office! that video made me laugh (esp seeing him asleep in the pods.. nice to know i'm not the only one who does that!)

 

[TMP-SMX]

Studying anatomy puts me to sleep. I read 10 pages then I start drooling on my notes. Fortunately I'm done in about 3 weeks.

 

[degoo_]

Can't agree more. I never slept in lectures during undergrad and I've had two instances of REM sleep in lecture. My solution is easy though, sleep and I'm fine.

During professionalism lectures recently, someone in the front row was falling asleep but trying so hard to stay awake- resulting in the hilarious drifting phase with the head sagging so slowly followed by the jerk reflex back up. Happened every 10 seconds for a good 20 minutes.
But is your problem in every lecture type or just "boring" anatomy.

 

[ShyRem]

Bring a stress foam squeezy thing. Feel sleepy? grab the stress thing and start playing with it. My current favorite is a cow.

 

[urgentcase]

I cant do it.
10 minutes and I'm gone. Good lecture or bad lecture. Sleep or no sleep the night before. Coffee or no coffee.

Even if I take notes my mind wanders and I pass out.

I was never a big lecture attender in undergrad but I've never had this problem before. Is there anyone else that was in the same boat and found a way to stay awake?

there is very little point in starting a new habit now. Traditionally only about 30% of the students in med school go to lecture. Forget about the lectures, you are better of putting your time in the syllabi and going to recitations or TA review sessions.