SO stressed, finals, CAN't sleep, advice?

[UnOccupied]

Basically, its finals week at university, and i am so stressed out that i keep waking up at night, and can't fall back asleep. I have my biggest final on thursday, and havn't even started studying, because i am too exhausted.

In the last three days i have tried to go to bed at 11 o clock each night, not falling asleep until around 2, sometimes 4 each night. And, when i do fall asleep, i wake up at 6 am. Totals out to about 12 hours of sleep in the last three days, i literally cannot function.

And, its making it so hard to study this stuff, i get panic attacks worse than i get when im socially anxious at parties and stuff, when studying, its so terrible. I get so nervous being around people, and trying to study. But, my anxieties that i normally have that have BEEN manageable lately are coming back stronger than ever because im so tired. And today, forget about it, i was just so stressed studying for this test, so i worked out, and now i just feel completely down and out.

ALL i want is a good nights sleep, but im so nervous about not falling asleep, and to top that, i can't stop thinking about what will happen if i wake up at 4 am again, and can't study again tomorrow, i will have ruined all my hard work for this entire semester!:: that frown should be like X10

What do you guys do when you have a lot to do the following day, and can't sleep? Besides like nyquil and that stuff, i can't do that stuff.

 

[vj288]

Try studying in bed, whenever I do I start to fall asleep. You could try music as well, keeps you distracted enough to fall asleep. You don't need a lot of sleep to do your best on finals, studies have shown students who get little sleep the night before fare just as well as those who get a lot of sleep. Make sure you eat though, that can be very distracting.

 

[UnOccupied]

^Studying in bed, great idea, thank you. I eat so well! And, i wouldn't be worried about not sleeping the night before, its just i can't sleep at all, any night this whole week, and its really taken a tole on me. I felt like today i was a socially anxious zombie, and i was some sort of alien, because of this lack of sleep. It all is from being nervous about studying for finals, soooo counter productive, ahhhh!

 

[stardreamer]

I know what you mean, because I have finals comming up next week and I haven't been sleeping either. I really need to do good on them, and I'm really worn out.

What I've been doing is that I just listen to some music until I fall asleep, and sometimes it helps.

I wish you good luck.

 

[forksandspoons]

Take a break, clear your mind and have some fun for a few hours.

 

[kihira]

I've been having a rant about exams lately at home - my daughter is having major anxiety problems about them. I think that exams are a silly idea as they are suited only to people who can produce under pressure and do not give a good reflection of the capabilities of those that don't. My tips would be:

Work out how much you need to pass by - get it into perspective, don't aim for 100% if it isn't needed

Have a list of what needs to be done and cross off stuff when completed

If you can't sleep, then use the time to study. Read what you need to until you are sleepy

Have the radio on

Have a pen and paper by the bed to get thoughts out of your head

 

[Wishmaster]

A lot of the time i go to rainymood.com and turn my laptop speakers up so I can listen to rain sooth me to sleep lol. It helps to relieve some stress at the end of a long day...

Also, I have a limited knowledge of how one falls asleep at night. Basically, if you don't move your body at all, then your mind will think that your body is asleep and begin to prepare for bed as well. The main reason people can't sleep is they respond to the signal that their mind sends their body that makes them move and therefore tells the mind that you aren't asleep yet!

...Sounds a little confusing perhaps, but hopefully at least the rainymood site will be helpful to you lol. Goodluck on your exams.

 

[UnOccupied]

Yeah, i've never tried the music thing. In the past, music just makes me more anxious, because i seem to just totally ignore it, and then i have two voices in my head, my anxiety, and the music, which just makes me more stressed. But thanks for the tip star!

I have been working out every day, which usually clears my mind, except today and yesterday because i was overly stressed and tired, nothing would work. I have been having fun too, i had a great dinner yesterday with my friends. Thanks Forks!

And Phocas, thats a very good tip, not striving for 100, just what you need to pass. Because i always think i need a 100, but in reality, even a 100 on each test would only minimally change my grades at this point. I think an 80 on each test would more than suffice...great tip! It is just hard for students, because i have the ability to try during the semester, but im just blowing my finals so out of proportion, and its causing me so much stress. This is the first semester i have ever had a chance at getting an A- GPA, and i want it soooo bad to prove to myself i can do it.
Actually, i did have three tests earlier in the semester within three days, and i managed quite well, getting A's on each of them, i don't see why i am getting so stressed now

 

[hippiechild]

Exercise, melatonin, dark rooms and absolute focus and productivity while you're awake.

Exercise is excellent.. (increase blood flow, respiratory efficiency, body awareness, mental acuity)
..Don't let yourself waste mental energy on psychological turmoil unrelated to your studies. Convert whatever useless nervous energy you have into physical power and work. Have the vast majority of your thought be useful, progressing towards your goal.
This way, once you've finished your daily study session, you'll have little to nothing left to keep you going...
as I exercise I like to visualize the troublesome thoughts being blown away, disintegrating with every moment more of exertion.

For me, the few days before finals end up being a time of retribution for inaction; anything that I've left undone, unsaid or otherwise un-ed must be evened out so that I'm not troubled by it during study.

Exercise should be scheduled several hours before sleep to avoid nighttime restlessness.


Melatonin, pretty self explanatory... a 'natural' sleep aid that I've found does wonders for my sleep, especially when used in conjunction with The Darkness. (Benadryl contains diphenhydramine, which is the active ingredient in many over the counter sleep aids... so I used that as well, especially when rest is more important than wakefulness, as it will leave me zombied for a good while)


The most important thing that I've found for treating sleep difficulties is to utilize your wakefulness to the best of your ability. More often than not, my insomnia is a response to an unsuccessfully suppressed desire for more time. It's finals week, you'll (probably) never feel 100% at ease with your time usage and will wish that there was just a little, tiny bit more so that you can ready yourself... but do your best to go to bed each night knowing that you made the most of your day, no regrets.

Unless my studying is at a total standstill, I try to only use dining times for fun, socializing and general recuperation. For me, I find that allowing myself to use methods of escape in an unregulated way leads to more and more use of escapisms when the going gets tough... which leads to wishing I hadn't, which leads to compromised sleep.

 

[bsebring]

Write down what you want to accomplish the next day before you go to bed. It help your mind stay organized and you don't feel as flustered lying in bed. It also helps to get everything you're stressing out of your system so you can relax your mind before you start fresh in the morning.

 

[kihira]

Actually, i did have three tests earlier in the semester within three days, and i managed quite well, getting A's on each of them, i don't see why i am getting so stressed now

Maybe think of them as 'just more exams', rather than 'Finals'?

Edit: Wishmaster - thanks for the rainymood link, I love the idea

 

[Dronee]

Basically, its finals week at university, and i am so stressed out that i keep waking up at night, and can't fall back asleep. I have my biggest final on thursday, and havn't even started studying, because i am too exhausted.

In the last three days i have tried to go to bed at 11 o clock each night, not falling asleep until around 2, sometimes 4 each night. And, when i do fall asleep, i wake up at 6 am. Totals out to about 12 hours of sleep in the last three days, i literally cannot function.

And, its making it so hard to study this stuff, i get panic attacks worse than i get when im socially anxious at parties and stuff, when studying, its so terrible. I get so nervous being around people, and trying to study. But, my anxieties that i normally have that have BEEN manageable lately are coming back stronger than ever because im so tired. And today, forget about it, i was just so stressed studying for this test, so i worked out, and now i just feel completely down and out.

ALL i want is a good nights sleep, but im so nervous about not falling asleep, and to top that, i can't stop thinking about what will happen if i wake up at 4 am again, and can't study again tomorrow, i will have ruined all my hard work for this entire semester!:: that frown should be like X10

What do you guys do when you have a lot to do the following day, and can't sleep? Besides like nyquil and that stuff, i can't do that stuff.

What you describe is almost every single day of my student and working life and I am not exaggerating in the slightest. I am very well acquainted with insomnia and I empathize whole-heartedly.

I'll suggest something that may seem counterintuitive. Don't bother trying to fall asleep. Do some activity that will not tire your eyes and not too much strain on the body either... something very light, but that will take up your attention.

I used to learn the guitar (room-mate) from a friend... and I was horrible in music back then. My brain will become so 'in the zone' that it will be hopefully naturally want sleep by the time you're through... My experience was that it is actually more tiring feeling anxious in the bed than actually doing some light activity. Anxiety is tiring.

Doing something like (if you're not ambidextrous) using your off hand, off leg and off eye to do things is also possible. The off eye exercise is a little hard to describe, but the other two, you can consider just doing random things with them like doing circles in the air and snapping your fingers... But preferably these things shouldn't strain your eyes.

It is the fear of not having full sleep that ironically becomes the self-fulfilling prophecy. You need to realize that you can survive even with minimal sleep or without sleep even. In research labs, it takes about two weeks of complete non-sleep for real permanent damage and breakdown... If I recall correctly... somewhere around that region.

I've personally been not sleeping at all for one week at a time (the whole week = 0 to maybe 2 hours of sleep)... and it's still possible to function (though preferably not with heavy machinery).

Hope you find something of use here. There's a book called "Restful Insomnia" I think... Maybe after your exams, you can take a look at it if you want.

 

[UnOccupied]

Finished exams and everything! Thanks for the advice everyone! Btw, they all turned out well, i finally managed to get a good night sleep somehow, and i did well on all but one exam.