Hey there, nocturnal students and their 6AM -10PM parents. Are you trying to tackle sleepiness while studying? A lot of students study better at night. I know, I know, the body’s natural rhythm does not work that way and that you should sleep early and wake up early blah blah. But this rule does not work out for most people.
If I were to talk about myself, I live in a joint family. It is chaotic here. You cannot find peace and silence and a place to study until everybody’s asleep. So, I made it my habit to study late at night during my NEET prep. Slowly, I got more productive during the night hours and now, it’s become a habit. I am only productive at night.
But then, I also feel sleepy during the night. *teary eyed emoji*
If you face the same problem, don’t worry I got you. I’ve tried everything and finally discovered what keeps me awake for study sessions at night. I’ll give you the tricks, but before that, let’s understand why you actually feel sleepy at night. Here is the physiology behind it
Why Do You Feel Sleepy in Night Study sessions?
It’s time to go back to biology class. We have learned about a natural clock in human physiology- the clock called ‘circadian rhythm’. Let’s understand what it actually means.
The circadian rhythm decides your alertness, it is the clock that decides that daytime is for work and night time is for sleeping. There’s a region in the brain called SCN or suprachiasmatic nucleus. It is connected to the eyes, whenever ganglion cells in the eyes sense light, a signal is sent to the SCN.
When SCN gets the information and understands that it is daytime outside, it suppresses the production of the sleep hormone. (Tell me the name in the comments section)
And when it senses that it is night time, the production of the sleep hormone increases, this makes you feel sleepy. It’s like your brain is telling you to keep the book aside and go to sleep.
So, falling asleep when you are trying to study during the night is not really your fault. It’s just physiology. Interesting right? What’s more interesting is tricking your body to stay awake.
How to Stay Awake?
Here are some tricks on how I do it (with the physiology behind it).
Lively Lighting:
Put on some good lights in the room. Make them warm and golden to simulate daytime. I hope the effect is obvious. Your eyes will sense light and send the signal to the SCN. The SCN will assume that it’s daytime and will thus suppress the production of the sleep hormone.
The easiest and smartest way.
If somebody else is sleeping but you wanna stay awake, get a good table lamp. One that is bright enough to keep you awake.
Snacking.
You can snack on almonds and nuts to keep yourself awake. These are better options than chips or other junk. The protein and fats will give you sustained energy to get through the night. Also, the small amount of carbs will give you instant energy to stay awake.
I had a big tiffin filled with kaju badam kept on my desk. It really helped me feel alert when I was tired. My mother was happy too now that I was eating almonds that she’s told me to eat since I was a kid 🙂
Splash Your Face:
Splashing your face with cold water can make you feel awake in a minute. The sudden cold sensation increases alertness. There is constriction of blood vessels in the face, the blood diverts and redirects to vital organs like the brain. There is also release of adrenaline and noradrenaline hormones, making you feel even more awake.
Basically it’s an easy and great technique. Just wash your face with some cold water.
Get up, Walk or just shake:
Just get up from your study desk and walk around your house. Maybe go to the balcony or your terrace. You can also simply take a walk around the room. Taking a walk can increase oxygen flow to your brain and muscles. It helps you. Fresh air and a change of place can also do wonders.
You can also just stand up and shimmy. Just shake your body, take a small dance break. Movement wakes up your body and mind. Physical activity releases neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters are associated with alertness.
Pomodoro
Take a 15 min break after every 45 minutes. You can just stretch in the 15 minute break. Just walk around, and get back to work. This will help you work throughout the night without feeling exhausted.
Chai Break, Anyone?
A cup of masala chai or even green tea can be a great wake-me-up. You can also have a cup of coffee. Just avoid a lot of sugar, or you will face an energy crash later. Also, avoid drinking too much coffee. If you have too much coffee it can lead to an energy crash too.
Power Up with a Nap:
Yes, you read that right! A power nap during the day can keep you alert during the night. If you do not rest your body enough, no amount of bright lights or music are going to keep it awake at night.
That’s it. These were some tips you can use for staying up at night.
Again, reminding you, it is not necessary to study during the day. Some people study at night, it’s fine too. All the best, I hope you’re able to study better 🙂
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