To those who skip lectures what is your sleep schedule like?

[ilg1]

Incoming M1 starting lectures very soon. To some this may seem like a truly unnecessary question (kind of is) but I am a little curious as most of my lectures run from 8am-1pm.

I figured I could continue my night owl ways and try to do some of my best studying from say 8pm-2am+. I was wondering if those who skip lectures are also devote night owls and start their days late as well. Or are you just studying other things while your classmates are in lecture? I am guessing that I'll feel a little guilty sleeping in so late while others are up and it very earlier in the morning. Is what I'm suggesting common/practical?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Mansamusa]

I go to bed at 2am and am up around 7-7:30am

I started skipping lecture 2 days into MS1 and so far I just study while classes are taking place. I want to skip because 1) I cant pay attention in lecture 2) I want to have plenty of time to go the gym each day 3) I can cover the lecture material and take notes in less than they hour the leacture takes

 

[lymphocyte]

? I am guessing that I'll feel a little guilty sleeping in so late while others are up and it very earlier in the morning. Is what I'm suggesting common/practical?

The real question is: why are you feeling guilty? You're up late studying. You're putting your grind in. No shame in that. You have to chart your own course in medical school, and in life.

I will say that I used to be a night owl, but then switched to early morning starts. 8p-4a. (Yes, don't laugh.) Massive productivity boost. No idea why. Maybe the key was that I became religious about sleeping 8hrs a day no matter what. That seemed to help my memory and concentration more than anything else.

 

[breezy16]

I go to bed at 2am and am up around 7-7:30am

I started skipping lecture 2 days into MS1 and so far I just study while classes are taking place. I want to skip because 1) I cant pay attention in lecture 2) I want to have plenty of time to go the gym each day 3) I can cover the lecture material and take notes in less than they hour the leacture takes

Dude, 5-1/2 (maybe 4 1/2 hours productive?) is so rough. If youre able to do that, major props.

I get up early (530/6, get to gym at 630) to get to the gym and then move into lecture (aiming for a 8-9 start). I'll fall asleep around 10-11.

 

[Azete]

Dude, 5-1/2 (maybe 4 1/2 hours productive?) is so rough. If youre able to do that, major props.

I get up early (530/6, get to gym at 630) to get to the gym and then move into lecture (aiming for a 8-9 start). I'll fall asleep around 10-11.

I don't know how people do med school on < 6 hours sleep. I stop studying at 10, asleep by 11, get up at 6:45, and by the end of the week I'm exhausted.

The few times I tried to study with 3-5 hours of sleep were a complete lost cause that no amount of caffeine could help.

 

[clutch21]

There's no reason anyone should be getting less than 7-8 hours of sleep in the pre-clinical years, unless you truly have less of a need. If you find yourself having to sacrifice your sleep schedule then I'd take a hard look at your time management skills.

 

[.hematoma.]

I don't go to a single class unless it's absolutely required, and on the weekdays I'm up and studying by 6 but I sleep by 11PM... gotta get good sleep!

 

[kmp0410]

I always try to get 8 hours. So just depends on when I go to bed. Usually in bed by midnight but theres various life things that change this around.

This is gonna be picky but I don't like calling it "skipping lecture." I don't skip lecture, I watch them from home. Saves me from spending 1 hour driving to and from class. Especially in pre-8am traffic. As well as all the various perks of being able to use 2x speed, pause, rewind, etc. I would study when you feel most focused and dedicated, thats the great part about watching them from home. I don't waste time in lecture when I'm not really paying attention or learning the material. For the most part I watch in the morning/afternoon right when they get posted...but sometimes I watch them at 10pm+ when I might find a second wind. Also, required activities can throw off my preferred schedule. I've been getting up early this year just because I tend to be motivated first thing with my coffee and I generally have less free time. 1st year though, I had no shortage of sleep. Nothing wrong with waking up at 10, sometimes your 8am lecture isn't even posted until then.

I understand the guilty-ish feelings from sleeping in. Especially when my friends are getting up at 6am to go to work and I feel like I'm slacking off (and I'm the one in med school). But learn to deal, those guilty feelings are ok, they keep you in check sometimes. Nothing wrong with taking advantage of the opportunity to make your own schedule. You will still put the work in, there is really no way around that.

 

[justabanana]

I was a night owl m1. Sucks on the days you gotta get up early though, for labs or tests etc. M2 I've got a more strict bed time and wake up but m1 I was nocturnal.

 

[mw18]

If I had 9 am to 1 pm non-mandatory lecture I would stay up until 3-4 every night. I usually start my day at 10 because we have something mandatory (not lecture), but if I didn't I would stay up later and sleep later. I try to get 8 hours, but it's usually 6. If I can get 6 I can be fine. I don't like it, but I manage.

 

[TaroBubbleTea]

M2 here. Get to sleep around 11:30pm and typically wake up between 6-7am. I always aim to get at least 7 hours of sleep.

 

[Foot Fetish]

Today was my second day of medical school. I attended lecture yesterday and instantly decided that it's a huge waste of time for me since the lectures are all recorded. So, today I woke up at 6:30 am, started studying at 7 am (an hour before class even starts), and studied all the way to lunch time. I'm gonna put in another solid 5 hours of studying this afternoon, maybe more.

 

[Redpancreas]

The real question is: why are you feeling guilty? You're up late studying. You're putting your grind in. No shame in that. You have to chart your own course in medical school, and in life.

I will say that I used to be a night owl, but then switched to early morning starts. 8p-4a. (Yes, don't laugh.) Massive productivity boost. No idea why. Maybe the key was that I became religious about sleeping 8hrs a day no matter what. That seemed to help my memory and concentration more than anything else.

Cortisol spike!

 

[Donald Juan]

My sleep schedule changed frequently in preclinicals, but usually I probably awoke around 10am-1pm. The early morning never lasted long for me when it didn't have to. The only downside is that you almost inevitably will have tests, histo labs, anatomy labs, TBLs, PBLs, etc. that start at 8 or 9 am, so you will some days have to switch back to suddenly waking up at 7am when you may be used to going to sleep at 4am

 

[neoevolution]

I've been sleeping 3am to 11am for the past few weeks, it works well for me since we rarely have mandatory class before noon and I enjoy working until late and then having time to relax before bed

 

[LuluLovesMe]

My bed time is about 5 am to 1 pm. Works for me

 

[MD/DO_2016]

My bed time about 5 am to 1 pm. Works for me

So is mine, I go to class only when it is mandatory

 

[sunshine02]

When you guys say that you wake up and study, do you mean looking over your notes from previous lectures before listening to the recorded lectures of the new day, or studying from review books and then listening to lectures?

 

[NicksMD]

Usually get around 7-8 hours. Go to class from 9a-12p. Skip the 8 am biochem.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[3characterslong]

My bed time is about 5 am to 1 pm. Works for me

Ditto, but more like 5PM - 11AM/Noon. Always have stupid stuff in the early afternoon.

 

[abolt18]

First 2 years, as long as there was nothing required in the morning, is usually go to bed sons 12am-1am and wake up whenever my daughter woke me up, which was usually around 9am. Took an easy morning making my family breakfast most mornings. Would then walk or bike to school and be there by 11ish.

 

[kingtal0n]

our sleep cycle is supposed to be rhythmic. Best to keep a regular pattern that yields a full day of work without exhaustion, the body can adapt to almost anything; but if it can't "predict" when you are going to be sleeping, there may be trouble getting required rest, or worse, retaining information.

 

[precisiongraphic]

My only caveat would be that if you watch video at home (sleeping in) and then have a test at 8a.m. once every month or two that you might have a hard time adjusting, so you'll have to plan ahead for exams.