How to Stay Awake during Class!

Hey there, Royals. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving break and got to spend valuable time with friends and family! As we go back to school for three more weeks until the long-awaited winter break, it can be hard to keep your mind in school. And as the days get shorter and shorter, it might be even harder to stay awake in class! Here are a few helpful tips to keep alert and stay awake during class.

1. Shower in the morning!
This might be strange, but a hot shower in the morning will wake you right up. Plus, your classmates and teachers will thank you.


2. Eat a nutritious breakfast.
This can be hard, especially when you might not have the time to whip up a delicious meal of bacon and eggs, but even if you grab something small, make sure it is healthy. Also do not eat anything with too much sugar, especially artificial! Sugar will give you a short energy boost followed by a long descent into sleepiness. Try proteins and carbs. Toast with peanut butter, fruit yogurt, or even a small portion of leftovers from the night before like fish are great to keep your energy lasting. My favorite is Greek yogurt with strawberries. It's easy to put together and you can even take it to go. A healthy breakfast will also fill you up until lunch so you aren't starving by 3rd period. You also may want to grab some coffee to get that extra, but studies show that caffeine isn't recommended for young teens and adults. It also will cause you to crash after a few hours. Try tea or hot water before you leave for you school.

3. Chew gum.
Bring a fresh pack of minty gum that will keep your energy up in class. The mint will keep you refreshed and the act of chewing will assure that you keep moving, even if it's only your jaw. Plus, who doesn't love gum?

4. Keep moving!
Shaking your foot or tapping your pencil on a hard surface are small movements that can keep your blood flow running through your body, which can help you stay awake. Interesting tip: tug on your earlobes. It “wakes up” those muscles, returning blood to those areas and reinvigorating your blood circulation.

5. Bring a small snack.
This will be very helpful right before lunch when you get the munchies. A pack of trail mix or apple slices are quick, easy to make snacks that you can eat between classes or in class (only if your teacher allows it). Snacks like Doritos or candy sound great but cause sugar spikes then sugar crashes.

6. Take your vitamins!
Your body will thank you. Vitamin D and C are especially recommended by doctors for high school students. They help your body function the way it's supposed to, particularly if you don't get those vitamins from food. Because of the shorter days that fall and winter bring, we do not get as much Vitamin D as we should be getting, so vitamins help. Vitamin C helps your bones, which us as teens need as our bodies are still developing. But of course, take it at home, as any form of pills (even vitamins) are prohibited at school unless brought into the nurse.

7. Pay attention and participate in class.
This should be a given, but it can help you stay awake. The more engaged you are, the less likely you are to fall asleep. Ask questions, make remarks, ask the teacher to repeat or rephrase. Even if the class is boring, you can still say that you participated and learned something.

8. Drink water!!!
This is something you hear all the time, but it's for a good reason. Carrying a bottle of water (cold is recommended) will help you get your daily dose of water recommended every day. You may get sleepy in class because you are dehydrated. 

I hope a handful of these tips were helpful to you. See you all on Monday!

Diana