Let me
put a disclaimer here, before they accuse me of stealing someone’s intellectual
property. Lol! I didn’t write this article myself; it is a guest article
submitted by Lena Paul, a Medical School Graduate to an on-line media platform-
Afterschoolafrica
Find the
article after this cut…. very interesting and thought provoking.
We all
lead busy, often stressful lives that can leave us feeling fatigued and sleepy.
This can be a problem for a lot of activities, but especially ones that are not
active, such as reading. Whether you are reading for business or for pleasure,
it is important that you are not falling asleep while you are reading or you
will not get anything out of it! Here are some tips for keeping yourself engaged
with your reading material, to glean the most benefit possible.
1. Ask
questions. Part
of being actively engaged with your reading material is asking questions as you
go along. Make predictions. What is going to happen next? What is the meaning
of the events that have already transpired? Why did the author choose certain
words or phrases? What is the greater significance of the event, in terms of
the overall theme? Keeping your mind constantly working in this way will help
to stave off any unwanted thoughts of sleep, while keeping your brain awake and
working.
2. Do
not read in bed. In
order to get a good night’s sleep, your brain should associate your bed with
sleep, and not much else. Reading in bed confuses this association, and either
makes it more difficult to fall asleep or makes it easier to fall asleep while
reading. Find somewhere else comfortable to read.
3. Read
sitting up. It is
a lot easier to fall asleep while laying down than it is while sitting up.
Sitting up indicates to your body that it is still time to be awake.
4. Train
your brain to associate reading with activity and energy. This also relates to tip number one
and two. If you read in bed or while lying down, you are creating an
association in your brain that says that falling asleep is what should happen
when you are reading. You need to associate reading with more active and energetic
things, so that your brain knows to wake up when it is time to read. Taking a
break and doing some jumping jacks can help make this association, or simply do
your reading when your brain is the most awake and alert.
5. Read at the right time. We all have different times of day
when we are most alert. Some people are early birds, some people are night
owls. Know yourself. Know when you have the most energy, and when you tend to
hit a wall. If you know that you do your best work in the morning, try to
reserve that time for reading more difficult material that requires more
comprehension and engagement from your brain. If you are reading for pleasure
and only have time to read when you are sapped and done for the day, think
about reading books that are less intellectually draining.
6. Read
material that challenges you. Reading
challenging books can act as a stimulant to the brain. Having to put in the
extra effort to comprehend difficult material can be very helpful when it comes
to staying awake. Experiment a bit. Try a book that is a bit more challenging
for you, and see if it makes you feel more or less tired while you are reading.
If you respond well and it keeps you more focused and engaged, then continue
trying to read more challenging material. If it does the opposite, then follow
number five and save the more labor intensive reading for the time of day when
you are at your most effective.
7. Actively
engage with the book. Make
notes on what you are reading. Take note of passages that intrigue, confuse, or
delight you. Underline important phrases. Star key terms or events. Reading in
this way encourages you to read closely and will keep boredom from setting in.
8. Read
on a backlit device. There
is evidence that says that reading on a backlit device such as an iPad or other
tablet can interfere with falling asleep. Perhaps reading on one of these
devices will help you stay awake.
9. Get
enough sleep to begin with. Make
sleeping a priority. We all need to get enough sleep to be able to function
properly, especially intellectually. If you are not getting enough sleep and
constantly dozing off while reading, try to get more sleep and then see how the
reading goes.
Reading
is an enjoyable and sometimes necessary pastime, and you should be able to
participate in it without worrying about falling asleep. Employ some of these
tactics and you will be getting through more reading material in no time!
Author
Bio: Lena
Paul is a medical school graduate who is an enthusiastic blogger and holds an
editorial position in Prepgenie, a test prep provider that offers exam
preparation courses for GAMSAT, PCAT, LNAT, UKCAT and UMAT.
Credit: Afterschoolafrica
Good tips.
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