There is no such feeling in the world as divine as reading for a reader. At the same time, there are very few other things which can bring in sleep as reading does. But there is also a saying, “books are the best pills to fall asleep.” In this article, I will talk about the ways to stay awake while reading.
Though I love reading, I tend to fall asleep if I don’t find the piece exciting. Sometimes when it is too factual, I fall asleep. It has become a habit to feel sleepy and fall out of it. And guess what? I found some ways that could help me from not falling asleep.
There are many ways through which you can tell your body and control it from feeling tired or sleepy while reading. Having a cup of coffee helps in most cases. Reading in a group or reading an interesting book will help.
Here in this article, we have shared with you a few ways through which you can resist yourself sleeping while reading.
8 Methods to Stay Awake while Reading
1. Keep it alert as much
Sometimes, you cannot resist feeling sleepy—This can be after a meal, before bed, or any time of the day. Since reading eventually brings in sleep, we need to look for ways that wouldn’t make us feel dozy. This can be anything from listening to music to walking while reading.
Highlighting the critical points in a book is a way of keeping your mind alert. This does not mean that you should begin highlighting once you start reading and stop it once you are done reading. Looking for important information in what you are reading keeps your brain attentive as it is focused on it.
It also tells our brain that reading is not something we do to pass the time but to gain some knowledge. It trains the brain to be active while reading, which wouldn’t let you sleep.
2. Walk, talk, read
Walking while reading can also help you from falling asleep.—This keeps the brain busy with two activities so that you won’t feel sleepy. But simultaneously, walking for long hours can cause pain in your legs, making you tired.
You can start walking once you feel like you are going to fall asleep and sit down again once you are expected. Other than walking, you can also move your legs or hands. Having any object in your hand and moving them randomly can also help. But make sure you are focused on these activities.
3. Not interested? Don’t read.
Reading something you are not interested in would provoke sleep, without a doubt. If you are already sleepy and are conclusive about reading a book, then pick up something you would be genuinely interested in.
If you are trying to learn something for a cause but are not much interested in, for example, you want to know about the share market, and you have a book in hand that would teach you inside out about stocks and everything, do not read it at a time when you are already sleepy.
Try reading something that would excite you, something that would amaze you. Something about which you cannot take your mind off not being bored about what you read will make you less tired, less sleepy, and more attentive.
4. How can coffee help?
It is not something untold how caffeine can help you stay awake. Most voracious readers only start a book with a cup of coffee beside them. Taking in large amounts of caffeine can adversely affect your sleep cycle and health. So be diligent and concerned about that.
Also, this can seem effective initially, but you may be pushed to a situation where you can only control your sleep event to a small extent if you take coffee or any caffeine products. It need not be only coffee. There are various caffeine products such as drinks, fluids, etc. you can try them also.
5. Eat cold, drink cold
Being warm makes you feel comfy, meaning being cold will disturb you and affect you. This doesn’t mean having a date with your book inside the refrigerator.
Sipping cold drinks or eating ice cream will impact our body. Our body will get a response to cold naturally. This method can resist you from sleeping while reading.
6. Join like-minded peeps
We will hardly fall asleep when we have people with whom we can and are supposed to interact. That too when the people around are like-minded as you, we wouldn’t find a need to feel dozy. Experience reading in a book club/ reading club.
There will be people interested in the same genre or book as you. Interactions and discussions about that particular book or genre which you all are interested in would bring in a lot of fun and no sleep.
7. Sleep well
“Poison cuts poison.” So Before looking into methods to keep yourself awake while reading a book, ensure you are getting good sleep and that your sleep cycle is proper.
You want to read a book, but if you fall asleep as you take the book in your hand is because you are not having a great time sleeping. Sticking to a proper sleep schedule will make things easier in our life.
8. A backlit reader can be of help
Backlit comes with its controversies. Some say that this is the worst method you can follow not to sleep while reading. It has adverse side effects on your eyes. But again, this can also prevent you from falling asleep.
My opinion is, Do not go for tablets or e-readers if you are someone who reads only at night when the lights are off. Reading on screens can bring severe problems to your eyes.
Some Questions to Take Care of before Reading.
Suppose you are a bookworm or a person who wants to read more. You often fall into a comfort zone where your reading is overshadowed by sleep. Below are a couple of questions you should ask yourself before reading.
Q1. How Places Decide how much do you read?
Where you sit decides how much you read. Laying down on a bed or sitting on a comfy sofa is not something you should try doing if you want to read without falling asleep. The environment in which an activity is set up highly influences what is done.
And since reading demands focus, you should choose a place that is not so comfortable to sleep in yet convenient to read. Consider sitting on a chair, keeping the book on a table if possible. Any public places where falling asleep would be an embarrassment would also do good in resisting you from sleeping.
Q2. How Timing Decides how much do you read?
Things need to be done right to get the desired upshot. If a highly factual or philosophical book is the next in your lineup of books, starting it off in the hours of darkness while lying on your bed would be erroneous.
Choosing the right time according to the type of book you read is essential. Some people feel relaxed in the early mornings. Some are night owls. But reading at night is not usually preferred and suggested by the experts as it can create more harm than good.
If you cannot find any spare time in the entire day, then taking a book to your bed is okay as a last choice. So choose a convenient time when you wouldn’t fall asleep.
Conclusions | Ways to Stay Awake while Reading
These ways may only work for some. These methods show you that sleeping while reading can be controlled and prevented.
I have tried this, and it worked. You can try out ways of your own. If none of these works out, you need some good hours of sleep to read and a healthier lifestyle. Read more, and sleep less while reading.
Happy reading!
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