Getting back into the early morning grind

By Tori Sydenstricker

Waking up early is hard, and waking up for an uninteresting class is even harder. A lot of people are in the same boat, where they end up falling asleep in class or even forgetting to do assignments. Here are some healthy ways to wake up and stay awake during those eight a.m. classes.

Drink water! Water helps the flow of oxygen in your body, while dehydration makes your body work harder to stay afloat. Dehydration leads to fatigue and irritability, which can impact your performance in class. Cucumber and lemon water are also tasty alternatives if you aren’t a fan of plain ice water.

Set up a proper sleep routine! Getting eight to ten hours of sleep per night can set up a REM schedule for your body, which will help you wake up and stay awake. If you stick to the same sleep schedule long enough, your body will try to wake you up at the same hour every day.

Get ready for the day! Throwing on sweatpants and a hoodie will lead to you feeling more tired, as comfy as the outfit idea seems. Getting dressed and combing your hair, putting on makeup, and planning your outfit for the day will give you time to wake up and you might even feel ready to take on the day!

Prepare everything you need for the day! Setting everything out the night before could give you a little bit more of that sleep you need, while giving you a proper night routine before bed. On the off chance the alarms don’t go off in the morning, everything will be set out for a quicker morning routine!

Participate in class! This could mean taking good notes and writing down possible assignments, or raising your hand and asking questions. Sitting up front or near the front is a good way to stay awake and attentive.

Eat something minty! Eating a mint or lightly chewing on mint gum can help you stay awake, and could even help you retain focus in class. And mints are relatively cheap and easy to find in nearly any gas station or local convenience store!

Don’t make your schedule changes drastic! When a load of lifestyle changes are set in at once, usually you are more likely to not succeed and fall back into old habits. Start off by changing what time you wake up, and figure out a routine that works for you.

Put your phone away! If you consistently use your phone to fall asleep, the blue light throws off sleep schedules. If you need to be on the phone before bed, set your Night Mode timer on, so your phone will automatically shift brightness at a certain time.

But don’t just take these tips, students are driving over an hour to attend those dreaded early morning classes. “Waking up is such a difficult thing for me since I am not a morning person!” student Franki Harrah says. “I honestly try to plan out what I need to do that morning the night before. That way, I can get out faster.”

Harrah highly suggested taking an early morning class to get a head start on the day. “…for those who need sleep and hate waking up early, have classes scheduled as early at 9:30 a.m. because that way, they will have time in the mornings when they wake up.”

Waking up in the morning might feel like the worst thing you can do, but there are healthy ways to stay awake throughout that eight a.m. history class. Drinking water, chewing on those mints, and raising your hand to ask a question in class could have great benefits for you and your grades this semester, and even semesters after.