How to Stay Awake During Class: 9 Tips to Beat Classroom Sleepiness

You walk into your first class of the day, ready to learn, and end up struggling to stay awake.

Even though you survived the earliest mornings throughout high school, it’s nearly impossible to focus on the lecture.

You’re not alone in this. Many college students have trouble staying awake in their classes.

There are many reasons why this happens, including long lectures, boring topics, early morning classes, and sleep deprivation.

Here are 9 practical tips to help you stay awake, stay focused, and survive even the dullest lecture.

Photo by Jayce Spencer

In This Post:

• Why You’re So Sleepy in Class

• 9 Tips to Stay Awake During Class

• What to Avoid if You Want to Stay Awake

• Final Thoughts

Why You’re So Sleepy in Class

But why are you so tired in the first place? There are many reasons for this. Inconsistent schedules are common in college, along with late nights and early mornings.

Keeping a consistent sleep schedule can help your body and mind work their best. A new scientific study suggests that waking up at inconsistent times can cause health issues and create “social jet lag.”

If you stay up too late one night and have to wake up early the next day, you’re bound to take a nap during the day—maybe even during your class!

If you nap for too long, you’ll end up awake until late, creating a cycle and throwing off your circadian rhythm.

Maybe your classroom’s the issue! If your classroom is warm and dark, your body may be inclined to fall asleep. Another study found that heat can affect memory, reaction time, and executive functioning.

Students who were taught in a warm classroom were less likely to pay attention to their lectures.

If you add in the monotonous lecture, you have no external stimuli keeping you awake. Avoid this by creating external stimuli.

Use a fidget toy while you listen or take notes on the lecture! 

On the contrary, maybe your professor is overloading you with information. This can stress you out, and stress can make you tired.

I made the poor choice of having four classes in a row, so by the end of my third class, my brain was fried. I wouldn’t suggest taking all of your classes on the same day unless you wish to suffer the same fate.

Your screen time could be to blame—spending hours scrolling through social media can create information overload and a need for immediate gratification and can delay sleep.

I spend hours scrolling through TikTok before bed.

If I catch myself doing this, I try to put down my phone and go to sleep, but it can be hard.

Technology has been known to create or worsen some symptoms of ADHD, so keeping your screen time low can help you maintain your focus.

It’s important to identify your triggers. Does a warm classroom make you feel more tired?

Does your professor’s voice make excellent background noise for a nap? Maybe you spend too much time on your phone before bed.

Once you can identify what is making you more tired, try to work around that with some of these tips.

9 Tips to Stay Awake During Class

Infographic by Jayce Spencer

• Get Moving Before Class Starts

Walk to class! Take the stairs! Physical activity wakes your body up, so if you can’t do that, or if you want to do more, stretch before class.

Even a 5-minute walk can make a big difference in your energy levels, though it may seem annoying to those, like me, who don’t enjoy working out.

A new study suggests that exercise can even counteract a bad night’s sleep, so if you had a hard time sleeping last night, you should take a minute to work out.

When I am sleepy, I move around to help me wake up and stay focused.

• Don’t Show Up on an Empty Stomach

A balanced breakfast is important for your body to stay awake! If your body has no energy to pull from, you’re bound to fall asleep in class.

Bring snacks such as protein bars, fruit, or trail mix to class with you to prevent hunger.

One study suggests avoiding eating a lot of sugar, fat, and carbs throughout the day, as those can disrupt your circadian rhythm.

I stay prepared by packing a few snacks before heading to class every day.

• Stay Hydrated

Photo by Jayce Spencer

Many people suggest that dehydration is important to avoid, but one study found that dehydration leads to fatigue and health issues, so be sure to stay hydrated!

To make sure that you’re sufficiently hydrated throughout your classes, take a water bottle with you and drink from it throughout class.

Your water bottle doesn’t need to be fancy; I got mine for five dollars, and it’s still going strong after two years. Drinking out of this throughout class helps me feel better overall.

Your brain needs more water when it’s hot outside (or inside), so be sure to drink more if you’re feeling hot.

The motion of drinking water may even wake you up!

Related: What to Do When Bored in Class: 120+ Productive and Entertaining Ideas

• Sit Front and Center (Seriously)

Sitting up front can help keep your focus in check! You’re less tempted to zone out when you’re right in front of the professor, so staying awake should be a breeze!

In addition, sitting up front can also help you engage more with the material and your professor.

When I am struggling in a class or when I enjoy the class I am taking, I love sitting in the front.

It helps me engage with my professor more than I would in the back of the classroom.

The impact of classroom seating location and computer use on student academic performance suggests that students who sit in the front of the classroom are likely to do better in the class, while those who sit in the back are more likely to do worse.

• Take Notes by Hand (or Actively Type)

Photo by Jayce Spencer

Taking notes by hand can keep you focused and help you engage with your class. If you can’t take notes quickly enough by hand, type actively on your laptop.

I have different documents for each class so that I can take notes as I participate.

Make sure to stay on your notes page, though! If you end up playing a game instead of taking notes, you may fall behind.

If you’re a doodler (like I am), try taking visual notes. A new study suggests that taking notes by hand is better for the learning process, so if you can, be sure to handwrite your notes!

• Chew Gum or Mints

Light sensory stimulation can keep your brain active, so try chewing some gum or mints next time you’re bored in class!

I keep some mints in my bag to help me focus and lower my anxiety. They can help with your focus and your breath.

This study found that chewing gum can also help reduce stress.

Related: 40 Best Books About Learning and Studying – The 2025 Student Guide

• Use the 90-Minute Rule for Sleep

Photo by Gail Byerlee

Getting sleep in 90-minute cycles helps reduce grogginess. Research found that taking a 90-minute nap can help with focus, performance, and learning.

Though I don’t often nap, I’ve found that napping for ninety minutes makes me feel better than napping for two hours.

Using this method, you can plan to wake up more refreshed between classes and even have a little extra time to yourself!

• Ask Questions or Participate (Even Just Once)

Asking questions can help break up a monotonous lecture. There are low-pressure ways to participate if you’re shy like I am.

You can answer a question, disagree with an opinion, give your own experiences with a topic your class is discussing, write on the class discussion board, and more.

If you struggle to participate orally, you can contact your professor and ask them for ways to participate.

I go to my professor’s office hours if I’m worried about my participation in their class. Participation is shown to affect performance.

Those who participate more are more likely to perform better in the class overall.

• Take Advantage of Breaks or Pauses

Photo by Jayce Spencer

Related: 30 Effective Study Motivation Tips – The Ultimate 2025 Guide

What to Avoid if You Want to Stay Awake

Avoid over-caffeinating before class! Doing so can lead to crashes and jitters, making it easier to fall asleep at inconvenient times.

Studies have found that if you have ADHD, like I do, avoid consuming caffeine in general, as it may increase fatigue.

Also, avoid scrolling on your phone. Scrolling can be fun, but it trains your brain to disconnect and makes you more easily distracted.

And, of course, don’t stay up all night to cram; while it may have some short-term gain, you’ll end up a long-term zombie!

Final Thoughts

Staying awake in class isn’t about superhuman energy—it’s about small, intentional habits.

With a few changes to your routine, even 8 a.m. Lectures can feel manageable.

By changing your sleep schedule, exercising, participating, and more, you can get a lot more out of your classes while also staying awake!

It may be hard to change your routine, but I have found that following these tips keeps me more engaged in my classes!

Do you have your own hack for staying awake during class? Share it in the comments or send it to a friend who needs this list!

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Jayce Spencer

Jayce is an aspiring author who loves art, games, and books. He attends Wheaton College (MA) as a creative writing major. When he’s not writing, he can usually be found curled up with a good book.