Why do students feel sleepy during classes: some tips on howto deal with it
Which student, sitting in a boring class, has not dreamed of a blanket and a pillow? The soft voice of the professor echoes through the classroom, student’s hand draws jagged lines in his notes, his eyelids grow heavy, his head sinks… And then, waking up, the student realizes that the lecturer is talking about something else. “Was I asleep? Was I really asleep? No one noticed?”, the student thinks, blinking confusedly, and picks up his pen again. And his eyelids become heavy… In another word: torture. Read further to know why it happens and how to cope with it.
Why do I fall asleep during classes?
First of all, you need to identify the causes of student sleepiness. If a person is constantly bored at university, perhaps they, as people say nowadays, simply lacks motivation. In other words- the student is in the wrong place to study. This problem could be a reason why learners use thesis writer help as they are not interested in studying and doing a homework. This is where you can either change your major or your attitude toward learning.
The second reason hides in the professor nature. If the lecturer stands behind the desk and reads monotonously from a piece of paper without raising his eyes, then any methods, up to and including electroshock, will be useless – students will fall asleep anyway. This is a matter of the text itself and the presentation. International scientists’ presentations show that any material, even very complicated, can be presented in an entertaining way.
The third reason is chronic sleep deprivation. Students party until sunrise, or, more likely, stay up all night in front of the computer, and then nod in class. The body is deprived of sleep and it tries to take its own at every opportunity. The rule says: “If you’re 5-10% efficient because you haven’t slept at night, that’s how much you’re going to get out of class.”
Much depends on the lecturer
Monotony is what puts students to sleep most of all. It’s always great when the speaker includes some relevant jokes, to attract students’ attention. Eye contact with the audience is alsosignificant: teacher should look not only to the center, but also to the sides. The lecturer’s attention is like a spotlight: where his head is directed, that’s where it shines. When a person hears that the sound is coming from his direction, they would definitely “turns on”.
It is desirable to communicate with students – ask questions, have discussions. This is a powerful technique for engaging students – to make them think. Visual material – charts, graphs, electronic presentations – also helps to focus attention.
Tips to cheer up and stay awake
- A SWITCH OF ACTIVITY.
If your brain starts to shut down, it means it’s time to rest. And the best rest is a change of activities. It’s hard to make changes in class – you have to sit, listen, and write. If you really can’t stand it, it’s better to get out and move around. Walking to the restroom and back is already a physical action that will ‘overload’ the brain.
You can raise your hand and ask a question – this is also a change of occupation. At the same time, you will help others not to fall asleep. Besides, many professors appreciate inquisitive listeners.
- IMAGINATION ACTIVITY.
If a teacher doesn’t interestingly, you can try to “paint” the material while you try to understand the topic. For example, a creative student sits in a technical university. He can sketch out the topic in the form of comics. That way it will be much more interesting for him to listen to and to perceive the information.
- MASSAGING THE FINGERS.
It is believed that student drowsiness may have physiological reasons. Students falls asleep because they are hypoxic, lacking oxygen in the brain. They sit in the classroom, breathe, there’s less oxygen, and they get drowsy. You have to forcefully massage the nail and the pad of the thumb and then all the other fingers. This increases the flow of blood to the head, and the blood carries oxygen with it.
