Causes Of Feeling Sleepy While Studying: How To remain Awake?

As exam time gets nearer, students put additional effort and time for studies to enhance their grades and marks. While studying, they often have to burn midnight oil. Many students feel sleepy while reading their books. During this time the student is always in dilemma, whether to sleep or to remain awake.

If he sleeps, the precious time is lost and feeling sleepy may also not work either, as he may not be able to concentrate on the study books.

Here are few important tips that help to prevent and fight sleepiness while studying. The tactics are useful for students studying in collage as well as school. The tricks are not limited only to students; it may also help people who want to work overtime to finish their assignment without feeling sleepy.

Why Do We Feel Sleepy While Studying?

Before knowing the ways to prevent sleepiness, it is important to understand why a person feels sleepy when he concentrates on his studies.

The basic reason you feel sleepy when you study lies in the brain. ATP is an enzyme which is necessary for the brain to remain energized. Normally ATP is converted to ADP (another enzyme) slowly after a period of time. However, during study hours, the brain utilizes ATP faster and as a result it generates ADP at rapid pace.

Contrary to the beneficial function of ATP, ADP enzyme is not all powerful to keep the brain full of energy. As a result it begins to get sluggish and you slumber. After a nap, you feel refreshed because the enzyme ADP has reversed back to ATP. This cycle goes on.

Lack of physical activity while studying increases the amount of lactic acid in the muscles. Lactic acid extracts more oxygen from blood and as a result the brain becomes dull, leading to sleepiness.

There are many other reasons that may cause sleepiness while studying. If you have taken a heavy meal before studying, you may feel sleepy as blood has rushed towards stomach and intestine for digestion. Less blood is regularized to brain as a result the brain and body tends to become sluggish.

Certain medications such as antihistamines and anti depressive have sleepiness as one of its side effect. These medications are usually taken for cold and allergy or anxiety disorders. If you are taking any of these medicines before studying, you will feel sleepy.

Reading in dim light may cause sleepiness. Also your posture matters. If you study in lying position, you are more at risk of feeling sleepy than while you are studying in an upright sitting posture.

How To Keep Yourself Awake While Studying?

As there is more clarity and understanding of causes for feeling sleepy while studying, it will become easier to implement ways to avoid it.

• While studying sit in upright position on a hard desk, rather than soft and comfortable sofa. Avoid studying in lying down posture as the brain will think you are trying to sleep.
• Avoid too much of physical workout. Strenuous activities will make you feel tired when you are resting or studying and it becomes hard to remain awake.
• Study in bright light. Studying during daytime helps to prevent sleepiness.
• Avoid studying in bedroom as the ambiance and dim light in the room will make you feel sleepy.
• While studying if you feel sleepy, change to some other topic that is more interesting.
• Reading loud is a simple and reliable trick to avoid sleepiness while studying.
• Take ten minutes interval after one of study. It will improve your concentration and at the same time you will feel refreshed and more energetic.
• Drink water frequently as it keeps you well hydrated. Also you may feel frequent urge to visit the washroom. It will provide some amount physical activity that is needed to keep you awake when you are studying.
• To avoid sleepiness always study in group. This will prevent falling asleep while reading.