he heavy weight on your eyelids is unbearable. Your body is slowly slumping into the desk chair. As it slowly pulls you into its snug seat your neck keeps jolting your head back to attention. The teacher’s voice that was usually shrill became soothing and heartwarming.This was of course, completely understandable. Everyone always says that time management is the key to success in college, and while you might try your best, you can’t always succeed. For example, you thought you would spend your time more wisely by binge watching the newest season of Orange is the New Black, watching various “unlikely animal friends” videos on YouTube, or cramming for the chemistry midterm you’ve known about since the syllabus was handed to you on the first day of class. At some point in the middle of the night you probably said that famous phrase, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” Well, you aren’t dead, and here you are more tired than you can ever recall being before. So it is time to doze off. There’s only one small problem, you are in class. As a fellow college student, I have had this experience and I now share with you how the best possible way to find a quick rest during class .By following these five steps properly you can not only nap peacefully, but you will be less at risk of being discovered.
The first thing you want to do is assess your surroundings.
Are you in a small class room? Is it a lecture hall? Are you in the back or the front of the room? Once these questions are answered you can begin deciding if napping is a risk you want to forgo. It is much easier to sleep in class in a lecture hall setting. Being in the front of a small classroom would not be the best spot to undertake sleep and it would not be recommended, but if you are an adrenaline-junkie than this might be the spot for you.
Check how much time is left in class.
This task is important because you want to give yourself enough time to nap, but not too much time where it becomes very noticeable. The trick is to gauge how much time to just rest, and not doze off into a deep sleep. Ten minutes or a little more than that tends be the right amount to feel rested without being overly noticeable.
Figure if you have a trusted friend in the class.
This person will be your back up. Having a friend stay on the lookout while you take your nap is very important. Not only will this help with sending a warning before the professor sees you, this friend can also wake you up when the class is over. Now, it is very important that you trust this person with such responsibility. Some friends may be forgetful that you have given them these tasks, or find leaving you there asleep as a funny joke. So, it is crucial that you are wise with your choice.
Layout the scene.
If the teacher does end up catching you, at least give the illusion that at some point you were alert. This is achieved by setting up a successful desk layout. The desk layout is your protection and with your own tools it is important that you can construct it the best way possible. Depending on the class, have all the proper materials out and ready to use. Turn your note book to a full page of notes and place it on your desk. This displays that you are either already engaged or just recently stopped. Be sure to add writing utensils to the scene and even scatter a few, to avoid looking like a set up.
You can now choose the best resting position.
There are a variety of body arrangements to select from. Some popular resting positions include: arms crossed on desk with head down, elbow bent with head resting on hand, face down on notebook, and slouched back on chair with head resting on shoulder. Each of these has its unique uses. The deep thinker (elbow bent with head resting on hand) is a popular choice for the small classroom setting. This is because it allows you to be sitting upright and appear slightly more attentive than a fully relaxed state that the other positions display. As an added helpful feature, if you have longer hair you may brush it slightly over your face to hide your closed eyes. Another upright position, but slightly more obvious is the spaghetti neck (slouch back on chair with head resting on shoulder or back of chair). This position is recommended for larger class rooms where you can blend in. Though, not as risky as the flop (head down on desk) it is still a position to take precautions with. The flop position is the most comfortable and will give you the best rest. However, this position is the most obvious and is not to be used without the proper precautions.
With these steps under your belt, you can sleep more relaxed, knowing that you have taken as many preventative measures as you can. Success with napping in class will forever be a risk students will take, but with the proper precautions a peaceful nap can be achieved.
