The importance of a good amount of sleep daily can really not be overemphasized. But I'm pretty sure many of us can agree that it almost seems like 24 hours a day is no longer enough. When there's a whole lot of work for us to do everyday, the hours would seem so short and that would leave us with no option than to truncate our sleep time by staying up late at night in order to complete our daily tasks and achieve our goals.
While some have mastered this practice and tend to do it so comfortably, others find it impossible as they always experience nightmares in battling with slumber. As a result of this they have to discover their own effective strategies to cheat nature and stay up for longer hours at night.
Seeing the topic for this very week's edition put a big smile on my face, because just recently, I and a few of my friends in the university had a very interesting discussion relating to the strategies we employ to stay up longer at night to study. I couldn't help but laugh throughout because of the way some of us expressed their frustration regarding how hard it is to not fall asleep while studying at night. From the discussion, I heard about a lot of methods, some which have been very effective and some that I just know will never work for me.
Our exams are fast approaching and there's still very much to cover in such a short time. Couple with the endless assignment to be done and tests to prepare for, It's just not an option to sleep fully at night anymore.
I'm someone who really loves his night sleep and I'd always grasp any opportunity I have to not shorten it. Even staying up late to do the things I enjoy like watching movies has not been easy as I always find myself dozing off quickly.
However, because of school and my fast approaching exams, I've learnt different strategies that have been really effective.
Here are a few of them:
Planning Ahead
Before night time comes, I always make sure that I plan myself ahead. If you are not organised and you don't write out what you want to achieve at such late hour, you will only get confused and get carried away easily by slumber. I define my goals and set a time limit for achieving them. I also try to think of other strategies I can employ to keep me more active.
Another way I plan ahead is by having as much sleep as I can during the day time because if I don't do so, I'd be too exhausted when night time comes. I never try planning to sleep earlier at night and wake up in a few hours because has never worked for me.
Maintaining Good Study Position
A good study position is also very important because when you maintain a good posture while studying, your mind tends to be more awake. Anytime I try to study or do work on my bed, I fall asleep in seconds. That's why I always make sure to do my night study on a desk and good chair.
Having Little Snacks by My Side
Staying up late at night can be very productive for me but when hunger sets in, it's as though everything comes crashing down. I start to loose focus because my stomach won't let me have my way. So whenever I plan to work at late hours, I make sure I have a few light snacks by my side. It's not advisable to take heavy food at late hours, so I go with snacks like biscuits, chin-chin, peanuts and my favourite chocolate drinks.
This post is my response to the @hive-learners weekly posting topics for week 35 edition 02 on the title "Late Nights".
P.S. Photo is mine.