Tylenol PM the night before MCAT? Please help!

[Mwebs]

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I have some trouble falling asleep. This is not always an issue for me as it depends on the night, and when I'm really tired I can usually fall asleep OK. The problems start when I get nervous about something, at which point I can stay awake in bed for hours and hours.
I'm taking the MCAT in less than a week (July 25th) and I was wondering if it would be a bad idea to take tylenol PM (or benadryl or any equivalent) the night before. I would take it pretty early, but I'm nervous that it will prevent me from functioning at the 150% level that you need to be at for the MCAT.

What do you think?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[The Kraken]

I have the same test date. After friday or Saturday night, force yourself to wake up at 6 or 630am every day up until test day, or whatever is ~30 minutes earlier than you'll wake up on actual test day. Test day will be a little sleep in compared to normal. Benadryl can give a mini hangover, and tylenol PM has done the same.

My plan day before: a little harder than normal cardio day with very minor formula review. Chill in the hotel until an hour before bed, then shut everything off and quasi meditate with no electronics. Fall asleep and its game time. I do the same thing before athletic events to prepare mentally.

Also: no caffeine the week before. Test morning, starbucks double shot in vanilla before you eat so it quicks in when you need it.

 

[FeinMS]

Try melatonin?

 

[mappingmedicine]

If this is your first time using Tylenol pm, (don't know, haven't used it) I'd recommend against experimenting with it right before your MCAT test day. Try waking up very early the day before and engage yourself in lots of activities be it physical or mental. Stay away from caffeine and going to sleep should come much more naturally and easy.

 

[Mwebs]

Thanks guys... I dont think those things will help me though! I very rarely drink caffeine as it is, and I went for a 2.5 mile run yesterday and still couldn't fall asleep last night until 4 AM (I went to bed at 1230)
Ahhhhhhhhh

 

[Meredith92]

definitely do not try any medications (melatonin or tylenol) this week. You dont want to mess up any of your body's natural balances this week. The week before my mcat i forced myself to get up at 6 am and go to bed at 8 pm. if you force yourself into it for this next week, its almost like adjusting to a new timezone. on the nihgt of my actual mcat i went to bed at 8 pm (as i had been for the week before) slept till 2 am then woke up every half hour till 6 am since i was so nervous. however, since i had forced myself to sleep form 8-2 i had enough sleep in me to do well!

 

[Dr.Forssmann]

drugs are never the answer

 

[Pose]

Take some Benadryl early in evening. I'd be super duper impressed if it impacted you at all the next day.

 

[Cheetah13]

I am usually a lurker, but have to respond. I took a tylenol PM the night before my MCAT at 9 pm and woke up around 6 am for my 8 am exam on July 2nd. The next day I did not feel as alert as I usually am in the morning. I am not sure if it was a mental thing, because by the time I took my test it had been almost 12 hours since I took the medication.
My advice is to take it every night and wake up the time you would for your exam, everyday before test day.If it works, go for it

 

[FeinMS]

I want to have a couple of shots of espresso in the test day morning, but I'm so worried about its effect on urine production. I've heard of this "sodium overload the night before" method. Has anyone tried it? Does anyone know any other way to prevent excess urine production by caffeine?

 

[loveanswers]

I want to have a couple of shots of espresso in the test day morning, but I'm so worried about its effect on urine production. I've heard of this "sodium overload the night before" method. Has anyone tried it? Does anyone know any other way to prevent excess urine production by caffeine?

Diaper or Standard catheter.. Either one would work fine

 

[m82145]

I would really suggest melatonin (its like $5 on amazon) cause it helped me a lot the day before my exam and I was surprisingly very well rested 🙂

I used this one: http://www.amazon.com/Natrol-Melato...UTF8&qid=1374288266&sr=8-5&keywords=melatonin