How to stay awake studying?

Catma63 · Apr 17, 2004

Hi! What's the best way to stay awake when studying? I've heard of Viverin, but I guess it is probably mostly caffeine, huh? Then there's my friend who has gotten up at 3-4AM to study most of the time....

Hey, wonderfulmom, I hear what you're saying. I too used to struggle with becoming easily drowsy when trying to study which, naturally, decreased my ability to concentrate. Took me awhile but I finally began to understand what my instructor had been telling my classmates and I over and over again......Take breaks! Take breaks between reading, get up and move around. Feed oxygen to your starved brain....get that heart pumping! I've now learned to sit for thirty or forty minutes, get up and move about (could be I'm simply folding laundry or something.....thing is, I get moving). Step outside and breathe in some fresh air....Like I said, oxygen!

May I suggest you don't turn to Vivarin? I don't believe it's healthy and can actually make matters worse; much worse. Best thing to do is simply feed the brain.

J Lynn · Apr 17, 2004

That is good advice posted above. I myself go for the "waking up at 4 am" method. I wasn't given any tips in nursing school, so I found this worked the best for me.

MyReign1 · Apr 17, 2004

I believe in "cat naps." My brain cannot function without sleep. Just last night I had to pull an all nighter. I studied from 6:30pm-12am, with small breaks in between. I went to bed at 12am and set my alarm for 1:30. BY 1:30, I was ready to go again. Went back to sleep at 5:30 and awoke at 8am, dressed and arrived at school at 9:am, and studied until my 11am test. Of course, I had to crash for a few hours when I got home at 5:30. Good luck.

wonderfulmom · Apr 17, 2004

These are interesting ideas...I will have to try them before nursing school and see what works best for me!!!!! I know one thing I have 2 children and by 8 or 9 PM I am bushed and it's hard to study at that time when you are weary......I know an RN who uses No Doz in a pinch at work when she's tired, but I have such a high tolerance to caffiene as it is because I am a coffee freak that I don't know how much that would help me!!!!! Anyone else have any more ideas?

wonderfulmom · Apr 17, 2004

P.S. been accepted to RN school and I'm going in the fall. I am reviewing the first anatomy though, because I am an older student and took it 10 years ago!!!! Good luck y'all!!!!

Achoo!, LPN · Apr 17, 2004

sometimes I excersice at night. 30 min of cardio keeps me awake for at least another 2 hours :)

RNKITTY04 · Apr 17, 2004

I have noticed that its better for me if I listen to my body. I am a night person, if I try and study between 2pm -5pm during the day its a helpless cause, I retain nothing, all I can think about is taking a nap. I do much better late at night and mornings before noon. Unfortunatly most of my tests this last semester where between 1pm-5pm

wonderfulmom · Apr 18, 2004

A friend of mine recommended trying "Royal Jelly" I am willing to try almost anything at this point (LOL!). Tried getting up at 4:00 AM today. Was exhausted by 6:00 AM but that's because I didn't go to bed early enough the night before!

kahumai, RN · Apr 19, 2004

I started a thread with a similiar title back in August, so doing a search might yield some more answers. I like the idea of "feeding you brain," although I personally also use caffiene pills. I take No-Doz, usually only one per day *if I need it*. I don't take them every day, and lately, I've only taken them when doing hard-core studying for a test. I don't reccommend them for everyone, but it's either that or down Pepsi, which is way too much sugar for me! I also try to exercise at night, too, because that wakes me up. Washing your face when you get sleepy may work, especially if you use cold water. But, if all else fails, take a nap. I see no point in forcing myself to stay awake when I'm not going to retain anny of the information I just read.

:zzzzz

nursedawn67, LPN · Apr 19, 2004

Hey, wonderfulmom, I hear what you're saying. I too used to struggle with becoming easily drowsy when trying to study which, naturally, decreased my ability to concentrate. Took me awhile but I finally began to understand what my instructor had been telling my classmates and I over and over again......Take breaks! Take breaks between reading, get up and move around. Feed oxygen to your starved brain....get that heart pumping! I've now learned to sit for thirty or forty minutes, get up and move about (could be I'm simply folding laundry or something.....thing is, I get moving). Step outside and breathe in some fresh air....Like I said, oxygen!
May I suggest you don't turn to Vivarin? I don't believe it's healthy and can actually make matters worse; much worse. Best thing to do is simply feed the brain.

I agree get up and moving, get some O2. I also drank lots of OJ, the vitamins gave my seriously lacking body some needed vitamins, and I read somewhere that OJ helped brain function....don't ask me what...I believe it was something about the potassium and other vitamins. Good luck!

Gompers, BSN, RN · Apr 20, 2004

Since you have kids, maybe the early morning study plan might work best. As soon as you get them to bed, go to sleep yourself. Like if they go to bed at 9pm, do the same and then set your alarm for 3am. That way you'll be at your best for studying, seeing as you just slept for a good 6 hours. It'll be much easier to concentrate and memorize things when you're rested, rather than at the end of the day when you're exhuasted. By the time the kids get up, you'll have gotten quite a bit of work done already. This way, you can go about your day after that, and even if you're really tired by dinnertime, at least you can do that kind of stuff on autopilot, you know?