Dealing with overtiredness

Former Member

I get very tired all the time, it's probably partly depression-related and partly a side effect of increasing my tablets (which are meant to make you sleepy and I'm now taking them in the morning as well as at night), but I have an exam tomorrow.

So, without using stimulants (because my anxiety levels are likely to be through the roof) does anyone have any good tips? Anything to have / avoid for breakfast or whatever?

I might be fighting a losing battle, but prepared to try anything to avoid resorting to coffee.

Former Member

Lots of water and fruit, make sure you get a decent amount of sleep the night before - go to bed early-ish and get up early enough that your body has time to wake up a bit (I find that I am most awake a couple of hours after I've got out of bed).

Former Member

Apples are meant to wake you up.

Former Member

Nice fresh shower, brisk walk on the way to the exam (or somewhere else) if you can, fruit juice and cereal for breakfast (or some other combination of the fruity sugar boost and the longer release to get you through the exam.

What time is the exam, what time do you take the morning tablets, would shifting them two hours back to be just the other side of the exam be an option?

Former Member

The exam is at 9:30 and won't finish until 1:15, which is too late to take my morning tablets.

I've got breakfast in college but because of a children's summer school (the current bane of my life) I can't have it until 8:30 so I guess I should get stuff in and make it myself in the flat so I can take my tablets earlier.

I usually have fruit and porridge for breakfast, is that the sort of thing? I'll have a cup of tea but anything more caffeinated than that causes me problems.

Former Member

Sounds perfect - fruit is good for the wake up, porridge will keep you going until the end of the exam.

Can you compromise of getting fruit in so you can take the tablets earlier, and then sticking with your usual braekfast in college.

On a separate note, summer school kids should all be shot.

Former Member

Yes they bloody well should be. I've had to leave the library again because they were making noise.

I've just hit panic about tomorrow and it's set off all the nasty stuff I was working so hard to overcome.

Former Member

You do not need to panic about tomorrow, you would not have made it through to this point in the year if you weren't good enough.

Stop wasting your time panicking and get on with cramming/chilling (both of which are essential).

It may be worth the ten minute walk to Boots to get ear plugs, then returning to the library. Libraries + ear plugs = bliss.

Former Member

Yeah

Just got locked out of my room because I ran out to be sick (side-effects) and then didn't have a cardigan so didn't feel in my current state able to walk to the main college through the summer school and past a bunch of kids who live in so had to get someone else to get me the master key.

Urgh. Drama.

Going back to the library after this cup of tea with my MP3 player.

Former Member

Doh.

I've had to get people to get me keys many times. The low point possibly being when there was no one around, and I got locked out after a shower. I was wearing a small towel, and there was a conference going on between me and the porters lodge.