25 Ways to Keep from Falling Asleep in Class (and at Work)
Dead tired
One of the hardest things students have to learn in school is how to stay awake during class. Everyone has been there and it’s funny to watch someone else fight falling asleep in class, a victim of “The Bob”.First your eyelids seem to be getting heavier by the minute, your breathing is getting shallower then your eyes shut even as you fight to keep them open. Then you’re momentarily jolted back into semi-consciousness as you snap your head back upright after it had fallen forward onto your chest or back until you were looking at the ceiling.
Maybe it was a late night studying, yeah right, stick with that story. More likely some gaming that couldn’t end until the end of the next round, or level 9000, whichever came first, or some late night TV, watching videos or visiting your favourite social networking sites.
High school is where many poor sleep habits start and they are many times worse in college. Apart from missing a lot of information, these bad habits will often follow you into adulthood and possibly dog you for the rest of your life.
25 Ways to Help Stay Awake in Class
- Participate in discussions or ask questions. The teacher doesn’t have to know you’re doing it to stay awake
- Sit up straight. Slouching is a sleep precursor
- Chew gum or mints
- Suck on cough drops
- Concentrate on what the teacher is saying
- Doodle
- Take lots of notes
- Bounce your crossed leg up and down
- Shift around in your chair
- Sip cold water
- Sit at the front of the class
- Move your feet
- Pinch yourself
- Stare wide-eyed into a light
- Bite your tongue
- Play with your pen
- Don’t lean on your hands
- Work on your to-do list or shopping list
- Avoid mid-week late nights or all-nighters
- Maintain a regular sleep schedule
- Try to get 8 ½ to 9 ½ hours of sleep every night
- Exercise in the morning or walk/ride to school
- Eat breakfast for an extra energy boost
- Eat healthy snacks instead of chocolate bars or chips
- Eat a light lunch – avoid the hoggie or turkey sub
If you follow this list of 25 time-tested ways to help you stay awake in class, you may develop some good sleep habits and Buddha willing, maybe you’ll learn something.
What works best for you? Leave a comment below.
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what if school rules say that we’re not allowed to eat chew gum in class . then what do we do? most of the technique’s above are more of a distractions ==
Any kind of movement will help – stretching, sitting up straight or shifting position in your chair.
oh,im sorry
If you aren’t allowed to chew gum, I find sneaking in any type of sugar in your mouth helps. When I am not allowed to eat, I bring a flashlight with me to stare into it for like 5 seconds and I become awake.
The flashlight is a great idea! Do you bring sugar packs or just some sort of hard candy? Either one will help.
I got slapped cause i chewed and doodled in class.Got any better ideas?
Call the cops and get a lawyer.
At least the slap would wake you up! Good technique.
You never saw the Stooges sleeping very much.
Thanks for the tips! Today, I had breakfast and walked to school. Although this wasnt on your list, I listened to really loud music on my iPod while I got ready to leave this morning. It woke me up and kept me awake through history and spanish! Thank you so much(:
Go with something that works for you. Try not to crank up the volume too high or you’ll damage the little hairs in your inner ear and damage your hearing. Thanks for the tip!
If you’re a college student, it’s better to register for a small classroom than a large lecture. It’s really easy to take a nap in a large lecture, because you can’t participate in the class. It’s also isn’t rude to sleep in the lecture hall, but it’s rude to sleep in a small classroom.
Sitting in front of the class isn’t really effective, but it’s better than sitting in the back. I felt to sleep many times during lectures, even though I sat in the front. However, I slept more when I sat in the back. hehe
Overall, good advices.
Lecture halls can also be hot and stuffy – killers for trying to stay awake especially when the prof is droning on in monotone.
5 hour energy shot. Mtn Dew. Coffee. Ya know? The works. That helps. Just drink at least a glass of water before drinking coffee, and at least a piece of toast before the energy shot. However, drink only half. Drinking the full thing will cause yourself to become very jittery. Also, get up and go to the bathroom to splash water on your face. I’ve done that many times.
The caffiene will help but if also a diretic for stay hydrated.
Also when you brush your teeth count the brush strokes. That always helps for me.
i thought that counting makes you fall asleep ? oh well , i will try it anyways
It’s often a matter of trying several things until you come across one that works for you.
Great idea. Get the brain going in the morning.
well if you tack a rubber band and hang it and around your wrist(the tighter the better) and pull it back towards you a good distants then release is hard do that a few times in a row and you should be good for a bit. if you don’t like pain then ask to go to the bathroom have a friend yell loud, in a high pitch (like in the horror films) or just yell hard in your backpack a few good secounds. that work for me and my friend feel to use as you wan’t but the best thing to do is find a way that fits you
The rubber band can also work for quitting smoking – just snap yourself when the urge to smoke comes up.
Have you ever been addicted to smoking. That doesn’t work….
Rubber band works well for me! Thanks for the tip!
well if you tack a rubber band and hang it and around your wrist(the tighter the better) and pull it back towards you a good distants then release is hard do that a few times in a row and you should be good for a bit. if you don’t like pain then ask to go to the bathroom have a friend yell loud, in a high pitch (like in the horror films) or just yell hard in your backpack a few good secounds. that work for me and my friend feel to use as you wan’t but the best thing to do is find a way that fits you
thats cool , i will try that ! and if i yell in my book bag , the teachers will come out and give me a detention ! but its worth it !
i just got into middle school , and my teachers yell at me for doodling, chewing gum , and drinking water in class ? any other ideas?
i get yelled at for that stuff to so i said i was sick and went to the nurse and went home but it is in a diffrent building and the walk out side woke me up so during passing period walk outside
Getting yourself moving always helps.
wen i wake up i ride the bus , so i try to act as crazzy as i can , so it can make me and other ppl laugh ! plus laughing is a way of working your stomach muscles . it sure does work for me ! middle school is more fun !
Laughter is a great way to keep you awake!
Try hitting a friend sitting next to you. He sure will hit you back. Continue and see how it works!
Until the teacher sees you. Best to try something else.
I have tried every technique under the sun to stay awake, all of the ones listed below and even ones such as; slapping myself, drinking lots of caffeine, drinking no caffeine, swinging on my chair, getting someone to kick or hit me, sleeping so that my arm with fall off the table and nothing works. I have an undiagnosed EDS disorder (Excessive Daytime Sleeper) and the NHS are taking so long going from one test to another. Seen as though i’ve had this since i was in year 4.. and probably earlier, being 19 now it is a pain in the ass.. anyone got any other good ideas?
You should try actively participating in class, sitting in the front, sleep more during the night, I frequently fall asleep during class so I can relate, I’m not diagnosed with anything however.
You could create a simple circuit that electrocutes you every time you put your head down, this way you associate pain with sleep… but that could lead to some more severe disorders down the line…
When I was a kid and I wanted to stay up all night gaming I would take minty tooth paste and put it underneath my eyelids. It was impossible to sleep with the burning underneath your eyelids haha.
Almost as bad as using tooth picks to keep your eyes open (not recommended).
Is it bad if I only get 4 hours of sleep daily but am wide awake all day?
In class I’m always listening to my music using my wireless IEMs (in ear monitors) all day. It’s not that bad since they don’t cause as much damage as regular earphones but do sound much better. Should I try a different method of staying awake?
Some people can get by on only 4 hours of sleep a night. If you feel awake and refreshed the next day than maybe that’s all your body needs.
I.AM.SO.SLEEPY.
nothing works when learning about fermentation.
Fermentation creates beer and wine. Think about a good time you had.
I’ve tried everything…. I always fall asleep in class
The only one that helped was more sleep, Does anyone have a Really good Tip, Not that your tips where bad, Just need a better one 
Sit on tacks, vice grips to your nuts, ice cubes in your eye sockets, think about Margaret Thatcher. Your choice. But really, if you are constantly feeling sleepy then you need to make getting enough sleep a higher priority.
Some people can get by with 5-6 hours of sleep and feel fine and other people may need 8-10 hours. Find out how much sleep you need by whether you feel alert and refreshed the next day and try to get that amount every night.
your not weird. i can get 1-4 and feel fine, but sometimes if i get 7-12 i feel like shit for half the day, so..
True enough. Sometimes over sleeping can make you feel even more tired.
eat a banana or like a hardboiled egg… some beef jerky will work too. the potassium and proteins will really help keep you awake.. avoid dairy products like cheese or milk; anything that contains the amino acid tryptophan
Great advice!
Thank you for these tips! i always falll asleep during my morning classes(its gotten really bad) so i hope this helps. ill try it tommorow! xx
Glad you can find something to help you out.
These are some pretty useful tips. I also find taking a nice cold shower in the morning is a good way of waking yourself up
kinda obvious but still…
Oh gosh. I can’t wake up in algebra for nothing ! It’s horrible and I have a D in that class I need to pass !!! Ive tried most of these but I always seem to fall asleep. I can’t sleep at night either.. /: please help
You have to find a sleep/wake cycle that works for you and stick with it. Go to sleep at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning.
And keep your bedroom as dark as possible. Any light (street light, clock, standby lights from electronics) can disrupt your getting and staying asleep.
Thanks for the suggestions Bob. Yes they all are very effective techniques.
But lately all of them have stopped working for me.
What helped me was.. taking a few deep breaths. This instantly wakes up the mind. Whenever you sleepy, try taking a few deep breaths & you will feel fresh again .
Great plan. Getting a blast of O2 always helps. Thanks.
I have algebra right before lunch at 1, gum and movement doesnt help, and furthermore that class just puts me to sleep no matter how hard i focus. i go to the gym at 5 every morning and get a good breakfast before school, i also have drill and jazz band followed by a school breakfast. but during algebra i always find myself falling asleep!
I fell asleep reading this, that is how severe my problem is
That really is a serious, ….zzzzzzzzz
These tips helped a little but not at all. I ALWAYS fall asleep in classes I’m in my culinary class trying to keep awake. Please help! I tried all the above >.<
You have to make getting sleep a higher priority. You can’t close down the pub and stay awake through a boring morning class.
Uh uh uh uh
i always seem to fall asleep in yearbook because its my first period class..i try listening to music and moving and stuff but that doesn’t help..i need your advice. :/
You have to be able to get 8-10 hours of sleep each night. If you get to sleep at midnight and get up at 7am you are short-changing yourself an hour or more each night and over the weeks you will be more and more tired.
It’s true it is happening to me.
I just take my ADHD/ADD pills
they can keep me awake all night too if I needed it.
thats…interesting…=.=
u should nvr use pills always try not to use medicine (is bad for u) it just makes u feel better but bad for ur health and bad for ur body TRY NOT TO USE PILLS AND MEDICINES [PLZ LISTEN]
I have ADD/ADHD…I have to take pills…
Whats your problem?
I deleted that person’s comments because he is a nut bar.
i got add and adhd but i dont take pills just deal with it dog.
Good lord
Hallelujah.
I have insomnia and have for sometime now.. I sometimes only get 2 hours of sleep unless I take a sleeping pill like melatonin for example but although I never can get to sleep, I suggest to eat something really good for breakfast, for example I eat oatmeal and an egg and drink coffee. Plus the rubber band thing really works. Just pull back as hard as you can and snap it. It will jolt you awake. Also a drink mix called Emergen-C keeps me awake too. I just put it in my water bottle and shake it. It tastes good and is all natural not Like mio or monster. Hope I helped a little!!
Never heard of Emergen-C, thanks for the tip. Energy drinks can have nasy stuff in them.
Cool tips, but how can 11 year old stay awake? My teachers don’t allow me to chew gum nor doodle. It’s like me just staring at the board getting drowsy every minute. I’m an all nighter person. Please reply ASAP so I can get my sleeping routine back on track and I can pay more attention in class.
Start going to bed a half hour earlier. Stay at that time for a few days, then back up your bedtime another half hour. Keep doing this until you are going to bed somewhere between 9-10pm. An 11 year old needs 9-11 hours of sleep each night.
eat something really spicy
Nice trick. It’s tough to dose off when there’s a volcano in your stomach.
i ate dried chilli mee before.. it was a dangerous experience.. serious! hahaha..because all i was thinking was omg my tummy!! & then later i had the constant urge to poop… guess it was bad digestion. but a little chilli is ok i guess, unless u hv a weak stomach lik me
I learned the hard way that I like hot but hot doesn’t like me. Worse I had was spicy alligator pepperoni. Whoa.
nice o knw dat ppl everywer hv d same problem…hope all these work
Find a few that work so you can change things up if you have to.
I find some of this faulty, the cold water. Your body has to cool down to fall asleep, and cold water will give you temperary relief, but after is wears off you would be even more drowsy than before. DO NOT splash yourself with cold water or ingest it. It works much better with warm water as it warms your body and has the same affect as cold water. If you had trouble sleeping at night, you could run a cold bath or splash your face with cold water, but I dont think you want that in class. So it is much better to use warm water.
You comment makes no sense and is completely wrong.
Thanx a lot 4 giving this tips…
Thank u
Glad I could help. What have you found that works best for you?
I always get my friend to scare me, ( get really close and whisper something REALLY LOUD like WAKE UP GIRL!!! ) kick me subtly,
tickle me or anything like that. I dont recommend doodling because the action may keep you awake but what youre doing doesnt really have a purpose other than keeping you awake so youre mindlessly drawing whatever, drift off and start letting yourself scribble your way down the page. also you are not learning anything from the lesson. I find what works ( my highschool teachers dont let me get drinks ) is I stretch (while sitting) , fix myself up, ( tuck hair back, align shirt, pull up pants or whatever ) and i agree with one of the above comments on heat, a stuffy room is tiring but the cold is what lets you fall asleep because its a proven fact that your body prefers less heat when its dormant. Also, eat some baby carrots, celery stalks, apples or any other cruchy fruit or vegetable, the crisper and cooler the better because it helps refresh you. Thanks for all the tips by the way !
GREAT IDEAS! Never tried crunchy veggies – good and good for you.
radio alarm clocks,
refreshing showers,
using da stairs,
&
PLAY TETRIS IN DA MORNING YO
:3
& also sms in class..(only wen da teacher is not saying important stuff lik asking u to turn to another page, or in my case, telling her nostalgia uni life wen she was our age..blah blah blah…)
I had a teacher that used to talk in monotone or monodrone. The bell going off at the end of the class was a sign we were at least still alive.
thanks man , this stuff does somewhat help me.
Glad the suggestions can help keep you awake in class.
what if you cant chew gum or play with a pen or get up in class to get a drink of water cause the school i go to wont let me and plus what if you cant sleep and cant have any engery drinks cause ur a minor its so hard plus what if ur a deep sleeper and a alarm whont wake u up plz give my advice anyone
Try turning off the TV and your computer a good hour before bed and wind down with some quiet reading time. If you don’t feel rested the next day, you are not getting enough sleep, so try going to bed 30 minutes earlier for a few days. Then rotate the time back another 30 minutes if you need to.
If you have trouble getting up because you sleep through your alarm clock, have your parents to to Amazon.com and check out this Sonic Boom alarm clock : http://amzn.to/SIhSgC . If you also need a vibration feature see: http://amzn.to/RScvwf .
Okay I was just joking lol. Great tips, thanks!
I am reading this to stay awake lol
Whatever works!
yeah i will prepare to stay awake. i hope it will work
meth always does the job for me
You must be in the special class.
I used to listen to loud music on my way to school and back (in college). The library is the worst place to go when your tired by the way.
You’re right! The library can put you right to sleep if you’re tired.
My BIO college professor has a mono-toned voice and I tried almost everything that was posted. I went to sleep last night and got at least 8-9 hours of sleep. It’s not enough for me. I would sleep over 12 hours (over sleeping) still made me sleepy. I feel like I don’t get enough sleep either way. I’m falling asleep in BIO every single time.
If you have been chronically sleep deprived it will take 3-4 days of 8-9 hours of sleep each night before you may feel refreshed the next day.
As important as the number of hours of sleep is the quality. You need a dark, quiet and somewhat cooler room. If you spend a lot of the night tossing about, then you will not be getting the deep restful sleep you need.
For me, it’s staying awake during my last two periods. During the morning, I’m energized. Then I crash. My teachers do the entire lesson with the lights off and they dont change the tone of their voice. They just go on and on and on… Any ideas? I’ve tried water, but that just energizes me for a few minutes. I sit next to a bunch of mellow people, and I dont think they’d hit me. I shuffle my feet and stretch and that does nothing. Even more sleep barely helps. Any ideas?
try looking in a bright light. sometimes i stare into a bright light on the ceiling and it helps. it may not make you feel wide awake but it keeps you from falling asleep.
In a previous comment they were using a small flashlight to shine in their eyes for a moment to wake themselves up. Try to avoid high fat, quick acting carbs for lunch. The sugar rush will last a couple of hours then you’ll crash and your eyelids will feel like bags of wet cement.
i fall a sleep in computers all the time need some help. i try ed most of them
i get good sleep at night i dont eat breakfest
you should try eating a banana or something for breakfast might help
Excellent advice. Try a banana with a little peanut butter.
You should eat something for breakfast. You last meal was dinner so your body hasn’t had any more fuel for more than 12 hours so you’re running on empty. A small bowl of oatmeal or Red River cereal can fill you up and keep you going until lunch.
One way to not fall asleep is to make something happen in class. Be funny (what i always do) or always answer the questions even why its hard
Right you are. Participation really helps with staying awake in class.
Didnt help at all, maybe because i sleep only 4 hours a day
You have to try to make getting sleep a higher priority.
You didn’t even metion coffee!!!
Caffeine works for sure. But it’s also a diuretic so take it easy.
I cannot keep my eyes open during class or even on the drive home. I sleep enough, I know this because when I come home and try to nap I cannot sleep for the life of me. It doesn’t make any sense. I have tried coffee, food, cold water, moving around, I even nod off with my foot moving a mile a minute, when I awake from “the bob” my foot is still going. I sit in the front, I try to engage, I chew gum, I get up and go to the bathroom, I doodle, write snip it of what the prof is saying.
My classes right now are Small classrooms and only 1 hr 45 mins long. I don’t think I will ever survive a lecture hall for 3 hours. I think I will have to take up speed or cocaine….hahaha help
You have to make getting a good nights sleep a high priority. If you’re only getting 4-5 hours a night and you body wants 7-9, then you’ll always feel exhausted all day.
Roll you bedtime back 1/2 an hour from where it is now for a few days, then roll it back another 30 minutes for a few days. Repeat until you are getting enough sleep to feel refreshed the next day.
I am also only taking two classes this term so I am not overloaded which means I am only at school for 3 and a half hours TOTAL….how will I ever go to school for like 6 hours in one day. I’m so over it
You’ll be able to handle the load no problem!
Before, I don’t normally fall asleep in class, but I find that there is one teacher who is very boring and I almost always fall asleep. I don’t sleep late, about 11 pm. I’ve tried everything, but nothing works!
Sometimes no matter what you do, nothing works. Some teachers have a boring topic, talk in a monitone voice, have the personality of milk thats two weeks past expiration and teach in a room that is too warm.
You could try asking questions: Could you please repeat that? Could you explain that more?, etc. It might help to break things up a bit.
Thank you for this excellent list of ideas! In my experience, the best of these suggestions involve being actively involved with the class. Taking active notes, asking questions, and participating in class discussion are the best ways to stay engaged. If you can’t speak out loud (because the prof or teacher is lecturing), ask questions in your notes. Keep writing in your notes. There are lots of short-term fixes in the list, but if you’re going to make it through a long lecture, you’re going to have to engage in the course material through note-taking or active participation in the class.
Excellent advice, thanks.
Good advice! Staring into a bright light makes me drowsier, but everything else sounds good! Great article!
Glad it helps!
I stay awake in class by reading articles about staying awake .
\(o.O)/
l
/\
*I stay awake in class by reading articles about staying awake. (o.O)
Whatever works for you!
Thanks for the tips but in the last class of the day i always fall asleep even though i get 9 hours of sleep. Good tips but they arent helping me.
Try eating a piece of fruit mid afternoon to boost your energy level.
watd do i’d do if im monkey and can only eat bananas but mean teacher does not let eat bananas?
ugh yea not workin at all i go to allternitive school .. soo its realy borrin
You have to find a way to get engaged like asking questions.
i bite my tongue too hard and it bleed for 2 hours you idiot
the same thing happened to me las friday, then i had go the doctor
Bobert are you going to respond we help needed asaps !
Bobert are you going to respond we help needed asaps !
I haded that too whens i try play fifa during class im hard working on getting RVP backs to squad hes very big money and hes gooder than other players
if u wants to contact me just add me on facebook
i was sleepeed in class wens i in classing with vangleli
when i have all-nighters or i just cant sleep , to stay awake in class i usually take notes & be involved in the class discussion. If we’re caught sleeping in class ours teachers do everything in there best possible way to embarrass us , so it would be great to NOT fall asleep in class for me!!
hows do u stay wakes at night it be hard for me, also add my account on facebook! same name
hows do u stay wakes at night it be hard for me, also add my account on facebook! same name
ummmmmm ………………….. this does not help u stay awake in class i think that 1.ask to go to the bathroom put hot water on your face duuuhhhhh dumbo
Alright, I’m in college and in ROTC so that requires getting up at 5am most mornings, usually after a hard night of tedious online homework and studying. The best method I’ve found is a combination of either gum or cough drops, sitting up straight, and trying to finish a bottle of water in the hour lectures. Econ is my biggest killer. Good luck! Stay awake!
I have c lunch and then AP US History as my last class of the day. It’s a bunch of boring videos and lectures, and i’ve tried so hard to stay awake! I shift A LOT, drink an entire bottle of water, i’m always rubbing my face trying to stay awake, but I constantly feel myself dozing off. This doesn’t last for the entire block though, just the half hour in the middle of the 90 minutes. any tips?
lol, dats alot of aommnts,
. also, the best way to wake up in class is to watch movies while learning, lol
I brought a chopped chilli in my bag, and ate a bit every time i felt sleepy
looking at the lights work. Religion kills me later
thanks! really likes the tips, most of them are my habits. working on to-do list and shopping list really helps me, i’m staying in hostel, so planning and arranging are pretty important. here’s a few of my tips on how to stay awake in school:
1. be cocky. feel that you are amazing and better than the person behind or besides you that are sleeping.
2. sing. not while the teacher was explaining. preferably during discussion. dance a bit if you dare enough.
3. write down your favorite song lyrics. sometimes it helps.
4. thanks to my understanding teacher that feel the burdens as a student nowadays, some of my classmate volunteer to stand up during class.
Great ideas, thanks!
Buddha willing???? really?? Buddha’s dead. sorry to break it to you.
Well I always drink coffe and then a glass of water and I get some fresh air before I goto school but I really don’t care I have 8 more days of school left so I’m good also a good tip is to talk to your slef it always helps me
I like cashews.
Any movement is helpful. Glad it works.
Economics used to do it for me.
My boyfriend almost always falls asleep in math.
None of it helps me !
You’ve got to come up with something better awesome attempts .
Thanks for the tips.
have some 5 hour energy thatl keep you going.
The guy above just mentioned wearing a rubber band around your wrist and snapping it against your wrist when you get tired. I think that helps only if you do it a lot of times. Other than that, try staring in to bright lights and making notes about everything you can think of.
Me too.
Great idea, thanks!
There just some nasty stuff in energy drinks that you would be better off to avoid.
Math can be a killer. I had an East Indian dude that started going on about comfortable mattresses. Being half asleep I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what he was talking about. Apparently, it was conformal matrices. It was down hill from there.
If you want to start blogging, try writing your own article instead of scraping another persons work.
When all else fails – get more sleep!
Just fap
I don’t believe there are any problems with any of the suggestions but with the quality of public education.
Teachers are nothing more than unionized civil servants and as long as they show up for work most of the time there is no way to get rid of any of them, regardless of their ability.