argh! i have the same problem - i am a student too and read about half a page before i start pushing zeds (or zees if you are american!).
i do get bouts of insomnia and this is the only time i can get any study done! I've managed to read 5 pages today but have spent about an hour asleep for each page!
i read somewhere else to eat apples and stay away from caffeine, so i'm going to try that. i'm just thinking as well to let my lecturers know... i wasn't going to but it looks like it's a more common problem than i realised!
Absolutely !!! Same thing here! Can't remember content. And fall asleep especially on the PC. I have a form of dyslexia. I see words that aren't there. My brain pulls letters form other parts of the page to make a word that has nothing to do with what I am reading. Get tested and /or brain scan. The great part of this disorder is that since I see things in a different perspective I can invent products to improve people's lives !
Absolutely !!! Same thing here! Can't remember content. And fall asleep especially on the PC. I have a form of dyslexia. I see words that aren't there. My brain pulls letters form other parts of the page to make a word that has nothing to do with what I am reading. Get tested and /or brain scan. The great part of this disorder is that since I see things in a different perspective I can invent products to improve people's lives !
i used to suffer from this same problem before i found out what i was doing wrong.
to those who are reading on your bed. dont. your mind registers your bed as a place to sleep. therefore, you will want to sleep on your bed. if you study on your bed, and dont fall asleep, then you will have trouble falling asleep. its a pattern if you catch my drift.
also, my mindset is always based on not embarressing myself in public. well, maybe its time to take your book to the local bookstore or starbucks. they have nice chairs, and im guessing most of you would hate it if you're at starbucks and you're woken up by a little kid who is poking inside your nose with a coffee straw.
theres my two cents.
I am sorry to. I don't agree with what you are saying. I fall asleep at the drop of a hat. I could be sitting for 5 minutes watching tv and fall asleep. I could stand up reading and still fall asleep. It doesn't matter where you are or what you are doing you still fall asleep. I am embarrased to do it in public but I still do it. I go to bed at 8:30 pm and get up at 6:30 am for work. I could be at my desk and be typing something or reading something and feel myself getting sleepy. I get up and walk but nothing helps. I can take all the preventative measures in the world but I still fall asleep.
I don't agree with what you're saying as well. I was just at Barnes and Noble today attempting to "study" for my exam tomorrow. I'm excited that I get to study and pass the test and I grab a book, sit for 5 minutes and i'm drifting off. I tried rollin up my sleeves, getting up and walking around and coming back, but still come to the same conclusion. I could be in front 20-30 people and still find myself dozing off. I recently started drinking coffee again but I quit for a good 3-4 months and still have the same symptoms.
I would recommend getting a sleep study done. I had the same problem as you and heard about this from a clinic advertising in my area about sleep disorders. There are many possibilities as to why you're not getting enough rest when you sleep 7-9 hours a night. I had/have Sleep Apnea, basically I was waking about every 2 minutes all night long. I now use a CPAP and haven't been falling a sleep in the middle of the day anymore. Other problems could be RLS (Restless Limp Syndrome). You really need to get this checked out.
As a side note both Reggie White (Pro football player) and John Candy (Comedian/ Actor)suffered from Sleep Apnea and either forgot or weren't using their CPAP machines which caused them to not get enough oxygen and have a Cardiac Arrhythmia and die as a result. So this is a bigger deal then just not sleeping good. It could be sign of other health issues.
I went back to school at 40. I couldn't get any of my reading accomplished at home or in the library, too quiet and relaxed. I went to the student union to do my reading. People talking, playing video games all that stuff kept me awake, and really did not interfere with my understanding. I was used to being interrupted at home, and it seemed to help at school. NOW at 57, my husband and I both have bad backs and sleep in the living room, he on the couch and me in the lazy boy, its the only way we can get up in the morning not feeling crippled. Of course, these are logical places to read, too. I like the first answer given with all the things to try to retrain my brain. I think maybe reading in the kitchen might be better. We can all blame this on all those good parents that used to read us a book at bedtime!
Lol. I do like your comment, blaming it on being read a book at bedtime.That's good. I do the same, I love reading, but its almost impossible for me. Just a few pages and im fast asleep. It takes me forever to finish a book and usually dont finish. I dont know what else to do. My heart dr has taken me off caffiene because of PVC (premature ventricular contractions). Caffiene aggravates the condition, so I cant drink coffee to wake up. I believe if I read standing outside on a ledge I would still fall asleep and then it would be all over.
I have the exact same problem, not just reading but even in meetings I fall asleep and SNORE like a pig!! however I managed to at least get through some of my readings...this is what I think happens to me personnally
a) if my brain is not thinking (i.e. creating spreadsheets, playing with formulas, finding solution to problems, etc etc)
b)Physically not moving at least 50% of my body
I will certainly fall asleep... so what I do to get through my readings is:
eat carrots
eat lettuce
eat spinach (by themselves their kind of sour taste so it will keep you awake for a while lol)
Don't try chewing gum that's worthless
I also have a bottle of water just in case
Dont eat anything that will fill you up.. no bread, no soda, no juice... but healthy food that will keep your mouth busy and at the end you'll find out you're on page 32 from your reading from page 2 to 46.... I hope it helps however I'm still fallling asleep during meetings cause I cannot be eating a carrot while my boss is talking.... so please help me too!!
I also fall asleep so easily when reading. I sometimes will fall asleep with my hands on the keyboard while I am reading online.
Another issue I have is getting sleepy while I drive. Once I get to my destination I am fine but if I have a 20 minute drive, somtimes I will stop half way and sleep for 30 minutes in Walmart parking lot because I cant go another mile!
I came looking for answers but instead found a whole lot of you with the same problem! I share your frustrations! As i attempt to cram a 10page paper the day before its due let me share some things you might want to try. ADJUST LIGHTING. Make sure you're working/reading with good lighting, comfortable yellow lights are way to soothing. BE AROUND NOISE. If your the type that needs absolute quiet this might not work but i've found that if i'm in a very noisy area, its easier for me to block absolutely everything out and just focus on reading. Take breaks before your enter extreme sleepy stages-if you feel the slightest bit tired, get up, walk, stretch, DRINK WATER- getting up to pee every so often will keep you awake and you'll be well hydrated. Sometimes I have to read it as if I were writing it. I've tried every form of caffeine and all its done is make me sick. Sometimes you might get a little more done with distractions that keep you awake than with no distractions that put you to sleep.
Good luck guys!
May the force of awakeness be with you!!
Listen to instrumental music while reading, preferably with headphones to create a very small personal environment to keep you focused and the music to keep you awake. I've found that listen to other kinds of music is distracting because of the words being said in my ears rather than focusing on the words on the page. Do this in combination with good lighting and good hydration.
I am worried that the people consulting this forum who suffer the greatest from our shared disorder haven't made it past comment # 5. Hopefully they will find the dedication to solving this problem by keeping this page stored in their "favorites." I too suffer from the same disorder and found it incredibly hard to procure a 4 year degree in the study of history which is a fancy word for: intense reading, writing and analysis. Not only does reading wear me out quickly, but pondering and researching subject matter for analysis based writing results in the deepest and most meaningful 3 to 5 hour naps. The great thing about paying for an education is that the prevalent driving economic force [money] acts as the impetus to complete even the most dire tasks. I came to find ways to effectively combat the impossible: 1. Know thy self. If you are going to find great sleep after reading a little bit, schedule your littlest bit of reading during the day before a large break in your class or homework schedule, no matter what time it might be, b/c you know it will lead you to sleep. Then, go to class or do whatever it is after this nap --> you can now get back to work and finish reading your tiny article. Schedule the rest of your reading accordingly and use some of the afore-posted recommendations 2. I don't believe in caffeine. But guess what, it's a drug. And like a doctor prescribing an Intervenes[IV] solution to ease your battle wound, if you are going to be a caffeine user, use only what's needed to get you by on a moment to moment basis. Large doses of caffeine will either make you crash harder when it wears off or it will make you immune to its helpful benefits. Plus it's very addictive. I would also suggest switching through caffeine sources throughout the week, staying cautiously away from coffee until you reach that level of necessity. I.E. Use diet soda a couple days, and green tea, then black tea and back to diet soda. When intensely reading, I would drink between 1 and 2 cans of soda per 4 hour reading period. 3. Healthy living habits actually help out. You always hear this, so brace yourself to hear it again. Eat right, feed your body (not your appetite) and work out accordingly. Monitor sugar levels and stay away from those bad carbohydrates, they are out of control. Remember human beings have made it through countless centuries without being addicted to sugar, nicotine, caffeine, narcotics, alcohol sex, conspicuous consumption or THC.. that's right marijuana! 4. If you can't afford a sleep study or the handy dandy face-mask used to curb the effects of sleep apnea do this: drink plenty of water, put a glass of water next to your bed, and set up a fan to blow air on your face in a direction that pushes air up your nostrils. This is the poor-mans way to get the benefits of the face mask. You can also try to grow up and stop cheating people and yourself as a means to get by. If you are addicted to something, it's because you are using that substance to shield yourself from a waking reality in your life, in a sense, you are cheating yourself. Habitualizing yourself to 'get-rite' will add to your sleep apnea for the first few months, but as you become a better person those traits and sleep problems will go to the wayside. 5. I like the comments in the previous post. Listening to Mozart, something classical or even the Gregorian chant will definitely help you zone into your work. It's the great double negative: sleepy reading + sleepy music = improved concentration. See the following http://ezinearticles.com/?Does-Listening-to-Mozart-Really-Improve-Concentration?&id=811554 .. Good luck and PS: I just woke up from a reading induced nap and am trying my hardest to get back on the reading train. I'll let you know how the change in habits goes. ec
I was having this problem and told my eye doctor. He said it was because I had a tendency to "overfocus" and that I was tiring myself- my body's response to the eye strain was to just shut me down. Make sure you have a correct prescription if you already wear glasses/contacts, and if you even remotely suspect you need reading glasses, try some! At the very least, tell your eye doc you read a lot and have trouble with falling immediately asleep and see if he or she has any additional input.
Also, when reading make sure that every so often you look up from the book at something across the room so your eye muscles will not strain in one position. Look up, down, side to side, roll your eyes periodically.
I recently started to fall asleep while reading. I've been an avid reader my whole life and never experienced this before. Yet another incident that happened recently makes me think it could be that my vision is changing for some reason. I have always been able to see as well as other people, and recently two times others could see something clearly that I could not, though it wasn't that far away. Haven't been to a doc yet, but I'm thinking there may be a connection.
seide and jellygator: in regard to your comments about problems with vision and over-focusing. I think you've hit the nail on the head. I've been having the same problem, falling asleep very easily. I was wearing my reading glasses for awhile but I've neglected wearing them recently. I guess I'll have to go back to that. Also, it may be a combination of eye problems and not getting enough sleep. I don't seem to have that problem when I read early in the day. I also have had trouble staying awake while driving a few times. I had to pry my eyes open. Very dangerous. I get up very early in the morning and don't go to bed early enough.
Yeah, I'm a senior in high school and all my teachers give me reading assignments every day. Not only do I fall asleep after 5 minutes, if ANYONE is talking or whispering or even moving around, I cannot for the life of me concentrate on the reading. So, trying to stay alert by being around noise and stuff does NOT work :/
I have the same problem when I read and being around noise makes it hard for me to concentrate. Another HUGE problem for me is sitting in a meeting or college class and falling asleep. Anytime I have to sit and listen to someone talk for more than 30 minutes, I fall asleep and it's a deep sleep.
I've been researching this and can't get a straight answer. I've had a sleep study and have restless legs syndrome and have been taking medicine for 5 years now and I still fall asleep. This is very frustrating and I feel as though I will never be able to obtain a college degree because of this problem. 
Not sure if this is the cure or not. But I just had a conversation with a Vision Therapy Specialist. (VT) She is treating my daughter. She explained to me why I was falling asleep while reading and gave me some eye exercises to do. She claims that there is so much that my brain is doing while reading that I become exhausted. She guarantees me that it will help me. It's worth at least looking in to.
I read through the first 5 or so posts replying to the original post of falling asleep while reading. Now I figure the only persons that will search this is comeone EXTREMEMLY tired of falling asleep. Reading is just the beginning people ! Not for all of you, but some of you.
Try being thrilled to Move away from home and start college. College parties, no curfew, and an exciting career in the making. And then finding out that you would rather just crash in your dorm at 6:00 then go out with your friends, Finding out that you cant drive 5 miles off campus without dozing off every few minutes, You have to keep moving around so you don't zone out and seem nervous around your relaxing friends, and FORGET studying for that improtant exam or staying alert during a class lecture ... It's just not going to happen.
Try being a 24 year old mother who is watching her 3 year old on the swings at the park and then realizing the swing is empty, and you don't know for how long it has been that way because you were in another world.
Try burning over 200 meals because you forgot you were cooking.
And staying awake or " alert " during reading .... well, thats just the beginning.
I feel for all of you, but I don't think the issue is that you are falling asleep at all. I think it is more of an alertment loss. ( for lack of better phrasing ).
I'm staying awake now because I'm watching letters tick by infront of me on a screen with a horizantal bar to lead them, and I'm staying awake because my fingers are moving so quickly. I'm a great typer so I must be alert right ? Wrong, Like playing the piano, its an automatic response. Similar to turning on a light switch when the power is out. But, with typing and the piano both, If I stop to process or think about what I am doing, I freeze up, largely because I forgot what the hell I was typing ( talking ) about. I cant even stay alert and focused during a conversation. So, chances are If you want to tell me how your day was ... If I don't really care ... I'm zoned in 60 seconds.
I can watch TV ... as long as I'm also coloring, playing cards, making wire wrapped necklaces. I can watch the kids at the creek ... as long as I'm collecting rocks, painting a picture, or writing a poem. And I can drive a car .... as long as I'm playing with the radio stations, Playing games on my sell phone, or Jabbering to the poor dude next to me in the passengers seat.
Do you know what they call all this ? I have been diagonsed as having Narcolepsy. Yes, Narcolepsy. But even after 6 years of being treated for Narcolepsy I still don't see how my condition really fits that title. Yes, I've gotten multiple opinions and that is what they all come up with ( after tests, and reading what the privios Dr. Was treating me for ).
It is so hard to explain what I feel is wrong with me, besides in the story type manner above, by giving comparables, or giving " for examples ", so that is what I do.
Its when you find yourself 4 miles away from the 74 mile destination .. and you thought you left 5 minutes ago. Looking at a roll of 24 pictures you took on your vacation and saying " wow, we stopped at the zoo " I dont remember that ... Its like being high ... without having ever smoked pot. Feeling every other day, like you are just sleep walking through the motions. Pour the coffee, let the dogs out, check e-mail. Draggin your ass and struggling to put one foot infront of the other .. and at the end of the day looking at everything that got done and thanking God for the strenght to get out of bed and function.
Well poo, I've forgotten my point, dont even know why I'm on this page. Last I knew I was playing on-line scrabble. What am I supposed to be doing right now. Oh crap .. is dinner burning !!! Wish I could just wake up.
If whatever I said in this lenghty rambling is something you'd like to talk to me about, something that seems like a condition you have,something you'd like to help me with or can advise me on ... or just something that has peeked your interest and you'd like to make a movie about me or offer to modify my husbands motorcycle with a safe back seat ( so my husband will stop bungy cording me on the sissy bar ), then contact me. I am Rebecca - my e-mail address is ms_construed@sbcglobal.net .
everyone should read this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sluggish_cognitive_tempo
I am so sick of this myself. I love learning and reading. If I didn't have this problem I know I would have become a major bookworm. Nonetheless, I haven't given up and am in graduate school. This will not run my life. I think we all intend on finding the answer!
I have this problem through out my life. I can fall asleep at any time I want, I have this ability to just shut down with not much trouble. However, it is terrible for concentration and academic skills. AND this disorder has nothing to do with bed rest, I can fall asleep when I want to wake up and feel great. There is one horrible exception: daydream sleep. This occurs while I am trying to concentrate and read, and almost impossible for me to stop. I tend to wake from that kind of sleep in even drowsier condition. Though drinking water does help keep me up for bit a longer, the time spent is hardly productive, my attention general morphs into some obscure thoughts. Moving around exercising only brings on the sleep much faster. Furthermore, the disorder has nothing to do with location, I live in a library, sitting straight up, but sitting straight up puts me to sleep faster because of the physical execration.
A real possible solution, as I do research on this issue, could be BRAINWAVES. Apparently, studies have shown that ADD and ADHD children have slow brainwaves. Though, I have never been diagnosed with ADD, I wonder if I have similar brainwave issues. Essentially, AD, and ADHD sufferers have stimulation problems, in as much as their brains do not produce enough stimulation to maintain concentration levels. If this is true for them, it could be possible that brainwave activity or lack of it, though I would hesitate to suggest its the exact brain issue.
So I have downloaded some neuro-programing software and will try it out. As well as get some Biofeedback as the therapy recommends. But what I wonder is:
Does add and adhd have the same problem in terms of reading and soon fall asleep.
And does any one have experience with brainwaves and or suggestions.
Well,
I have been wondering about the ADD ADHD question myself. I am 50 years old and have the exact same problem. No matter where I am, when I try to focus and read, I either start to fall asleep or my brain starts to wander off thinking about a multitude of other things. It is like dreaming while awake, like I can't shut that part of my brain off to allow me to remain focused on the material I am trying to learn. When I was younger (up to 30), I had the ability to train my brain to remain relaxed, focused and concentrated on the material at hand and truly grasp the concepts I was trying to learn. (I WAS an engineer by training, but my lack of ability to focus, concentrate and stay awake has basically ended that career). It drives me CRAZY!
Well just a follow up, brainwave testing is a waste of time, but fortunately I did spend much money to investigate it, except for the Qeeg. As I have seen several specialists, there have been some novel explanations all of which deal with a lack of stimulation to the frontal lobes and in particular to the right brain side. This is exactly the opposite of what I thought which was to much stimulation to the right side of the brain and not enough to the left side of the brain. (What I mean by right and left is in general. Those functions which were traditionally considered to be located in one hemisphere only, have now been shown to be in both hemispheres.) Some of diagnoses include: Primary disorder of Vigilance, ADHD-PI (add), Sluggish cognitive tempo, and narcolepsy (excessive daytime sleepiness.) Each of the conditions all deal with a lack of stimulation to the right side of the brain and various shades of inattention; unfortunately, there is no cure for any of them, and the medication is different for each of them.
Hopeful, the night and day time sleep study will clarify my condition, but one test that didn't help any and is a waste of money and time is the QEEG. The Qeeg is a formal analysis of brainwaves, but even the neurologist I saw said that the database that is shared among doctors would not have it. Though the test may be able to diagnose adhd, in my opinion they don't hook a person up long enough to get a true measurement. Anyhow that is where I am in this process.
I have the same problem, I am a college student and I need to read a lot. But everytime I open a book, even if I´m not tired, even if I just took a nap, and in any place I might be, I always fall asleep after a few pages. My brain starts to produce strange thoughts, I start dreaming after a couple of seconds and I completely lose concentration.
The strange thing is that for example, that doesn´t happen to me while reading on the computer, although there it is really bad for my eyes.
Even if I am reading my favorite author I fall asleep. My body just relaxes too much when I read. The best stuff that works for me is shaking my foot or shaking my leg or purposefully breathing irregularly. Eating something helps too because then your body has to focus on that instead of focusing on relaxing. Chewing gum is probably the best "permanent" eating solution because snacking on chips might only help for half an hour lol. I could imagine doing an activity while reading could help too, like making those thread bracelets or something mindless you can keep your body active with but that will still let you read. Basically, keep some part of your body in motion and it should work.
Caution, I recommend researching sleep cycles and the effect of using brain waves.
Just a follow up, brainwave generator only worked for a brief time. Some brainwave recordings, specifically those that are meant to be listened to while awake may help avert an oncoming sleep cycle. But, for me, the recordings become less and less effective within 3 hours of studying. In effect, my brain seems to adapt rather quick to the brainwaves.
So, I took both a night time and day time sleep study. And as I predicted, I had a normal night sleep. The catch was that the lights had to be on. The neurologist decided I should rehabilitate the brain to associate dark with sleep and coordinate that with night time.
Rather than taking drugs, I listened to deep (delta waves) mediation recordings just before bed time. Also, for studying, when sleep was about to set in, I stopped, found a dark place, played a low level beta recording, and took a nap. Ironically, I tended to be restless when I tried to nap without the assistance of the recordings, but yet I still didn't want to concentrate.
It is important to note that a sleep cycle is actually several small chunks of sleep, Generally, the deeper delta waves in sleep early and low beta/high theta waves dominate towards the end of a 7-to 8 hour sleep cycle. Thus one might have a a positive experience, if the recordings mimic the part of the sleep cycle that is being disturbed. For example, I would tend to wake up at 3:00 am, which is actually normal, but falling back to sleep was difficult. So I created a brain wave recording that mimiced the cycle just before dream sleep but after deep sleep. The brain wave recordings worked to a degree that I am able to sleep without the light or the recordings. However, I still fell asleep during the day while studying.
So I did a day time sleep study.
I have fallen asleep at work at my desk about 1,000 times over the last 12 years reading the bottom few lines of text in a book. I assume it has something to do with head position, i.e., tipping my head down. But I haven't found any mention of anyone with a similar syndrome.
This is one of the best discussions I've come across.
Any thoughts?
I have tried an inexpensive supplement amino-acid called Acetyl-L-Carnitine with Alpha-Lipoic Acid. Google both of this components. It is great food for the brain and it will give you help you with your mental fatigue. You can take 1 or 2 a day depending on how you feel. Be careful, I have seen some people take it at night and they can function well and can go to sleep when it is time, however, some people it has given them insommia and have had to take suplements to help them stay asleep. Just try it and see how you react. Every person reacts different.
THANK YOU for all the helpful contributions.
Falling asleep while reading used to be a major problem for me as well. What have helped me (noticeably) combat it are:
(1) Caffeine: 75-150mg/day for about 3 weeks, cycle off for 1 week. Alternatively, 5 days on and 2 days off. You might want to experiment with it and create your own cycle to maximize the benifit and (most importantly) minimize the side effects. It's source might be important to you. Oolong/black/green teas work better for me as opposed to coffee. The side effects experienced - drowsiness (when ingesting for too long or too much), headaches (another infamous withdrawal symptom) and dependency - are much much less intense than coffee. Everyone responds to drug differently, so I suggest you do some research and experiment with it a bit (dosage and cycle plan for example).
(2) Lecithin: I highly recommend that you give it a try (unless your physician tells you otherwise). If you are unfamiliar with it, I suggest you do a research. Obtaining cholines from food (yolk, soy milk, etc) didn't produce a noticeable difference for me until I tried lecithin granules/gels. It somehow makes me more focused and gives me more 'mental energy' when processing information/formulating thoughts, probably due its cholines which convert to neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain.
Comments are welcome. Hope this helps.
You falling asleep during reading because the negitive thought of your mind.
you think him selp if i starting reading i will slee, but if you come to strong your mind thinking always thought i never slep during reading whats hapen then you will be able to read more.
For reading dont use sofa just use chair which have no foam.
I have suffered from this for YEARS and I am currently in nursing school. I wanted to video myself to show others just how fast I can fall asleep when reading, but... I discovered that when I point the camera at myself I neither yawn nor fall asleep. Now, I simply point my webcam at myself and even if I am not recording, the simple fact that I know I am being watched somehow works on my subconscious and keeps me awake. Give it a try.
It used to just be reading, then other types of mental activity would put me to sleep. This isn't just dosing off. It's like I have been injected with a hard narcotic, and once it sets in, it takes about 15 to 20 minutes to wear off. I have to cease the mental activity that provoked it, of course.
NOW, almost any attempt to concentrate causes the cycle to start. I went from Director of Software Developement to Sales Associate at a retail store, and I'm not sure how long that will last.
Lord, I am in your hands.
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Hi Emily,
I have the same problem and it has been so frustrating all of my life. I know people that can read a book in one day, I am so envious of that. It takes me months to get through a book because I fall asleep so fast. I am going to try the water thing to see if that helps. Is there a medical name for this condition? Does anyone know?
The best technique to make yourself stay awake while reading is to train your brain. You need to let your brain know that you aren’t reading so that you can fall asleep; you are reading because you want to know what the book says. Each time you go to with a book in your hands, your brain registers that and thinks that’s the way it’s supposed to be. You need to make it think otherwise.
Start by not ever letting yourself fall asleep while reading. If you start to feel yourself drifting off, stop reading immediately and wake yourself up. Do a few jumping jacks, drink some coffee, and take a cold shower. Doing these things will tell your brain that reading shouldn’t make it sleepy, it should energize it. Eventually, your brain will learn its new clues and stop triggering the getting-ready-to- mechanism each time a book is in your hands.
The next way to keep yourself awake is to sit up straight. It is very difficult to stay awake if you are lounging in your bed-your brain thinks a bed is for sleeping in. It is also very difficult to stay awake when lying on the sofa-that’s supposed to be for relaxing. Find a stiff chair with a straight back and sit in that or even stand. I know a few people who can do it, but falling asleep while standing takes quite a bit of work. You don’t have to read this way always, but doing it for a while will teach your brain that staying awake while reading is what it’s supposed to do.
It is important as well to read books that are interesting to you and capture your attention. It is difficult for your brain to shut down for sleep if it is consumed with what you are reading. At least until you get over the habit of falling asleep while reading, read books that really interest you and that you get into. Pay close attention to each word and don’t allow your eyes to skim the page. Think about what you are reading. Consider it. Do you think you know what is going to happen next? Be an active reader. Reading is an activity and many people forget that. While doing an activity you need to be doing something. Even if you are just sitting with a book in your hands, your brain should be doing mental gymnastics.
Reading at the proper time of day is important as well. If you read a few pages of a book and then go to sleep, you teach your brain to get ready for sleep whenever you read. Figure out what time you are the most awake and read then. For some people they are the most awake right after they wake up in the morning. Others are most awake in the evenings. If you are sleepy already every afternoon around three, you don’t want to try and read then or you will be likely to fall asleep. Take a run first thing in the morning, grab a cup of coffee, and sit down and read a little of your book. You may find you have no urge to fall asleep because your body is wide awake.
If this stuff still leaves you feeling sleepy a few pages into your book, you may want to read aloud. Yes, it sounds silly, but reading aloud triggers a different section of your brain. If you are an audible learner, this may even help you learn better. Read the book aloud to yourself in a mirror and it will be impossible for you to fall asleep.
Finally, you don’t have to go through these extreme measures forever. Read a book or two while following at least a few of these tips and your brain will learn reading is not sleeping time. After that, you can sit on the couch and read or not have to drink a cup of coffee mid-book. It probably still isn’t a good idea to lie in bed and read before bed because you may have a relapse. It would be like you were telling your brain to do two different things at once, to sleep in your bed and to be awake and read. This would end up making you have to start over again and it’s simpler to just avoid the situation entirely.
Are you still awake?
Great response
I still suffer from falling asleep while reading. I have tried so hard to train my brain and I just can't seem to gain victory in this area. I am currently in college and I struggle getting through my readining assignments, even at work in the middle of reading documents I fall asleep and got the nerve to start snoring, I sleep while driving, standing, and even sometimes while I am typing on the computer. I AM FRUSTRATED BEYONE WORDS CAN EXPRESS and I just don't know what else to do.
Emily,
I know you wrote this three years ago...however, I have had the same issues. It has been difficult to get to the root of the problem. I found out through several sleep studies that I have a mixture of insominia (too much caffeine) and sleep apnea. Part of the problem is improving sleep hygeine. I have had to get myself to bed at a reasonable hour and you can't have any other distractors in the room (i.e. TV, telephone, computer...)
Its frustrating because as long as I am active, I don't get sleepy. But the minute I read, that's the only thing that puts me to sleep. It has improved and I can read longer, but at some point, I do fall asleep so I'm still working at it.
reading out loud to yourself might help.it did for me. try just mumbeling to yourself
I also have a great challenge trying to stay awake while reading.....anything.... after reading the same sentence twelve times I usually give up and sleep five or more hours.
I'm also suffering this trouble. Reading for me is the best way to fall asleep. Hihihihihi. After reading a few words my eyes get tired and can't continue. But I have found out that the best remedy for this is to have interest in what you read (this is quite different in reading what's your interest). Try to ask yourself what could be the next thing that'll happen, in this manner your brain will be curious and just focus on reading. I'm not falling asleep whenever I read the Bible. But other books, well... A sleeping pill for me. Hehehehe
Most times it is the matter of interest!!!
I have the same problem!! Reading immediately puts me to sleep and it used to be frustrating when I was in college and had to study and I would just get so sleepy. I feel your pain!
You could be suffering from sleep aphnea? Ask your Doctor. Very serious if untreated
The same happens to me and I am diagnosed with Narcolepsy. Maybe you should look into it...
you fall asleep while reading because you were trained to do so since you were a kid.
when you were younger, you probably fell asleep everynight when your parents read you a bedtime story or something.
in highschool you probably procrastinated in reading books so you read them in bed before you went to sleep. (but you probably fell asleep).
the best thing you can do is to force yourself to stay up.
read one paragraph at a time and when you start to get tired, stop reading the book and do something else. then come back to it,
eventually you will build up tolerance :)
you fall asleep while reading because you were trained to do so since you were a kid.
when you were younger, you probably fell asleep everynight when your parents read you a bedtime story or something.
in highschool you probably procrastinated in reading books so you read them in bed before you went to sleep. (but you probably fell asleep).
the best thing you can do is to force yourself to stay up.
read one paragraph at a time and when you start to get tired, stop reading the book and do something else. then come back to it,
eventually you will build up tolerance :)
I have suffered from this for YEARS and I am currently in nursing school. I wanted to video myself to show others just how fast I can fall asleep when reading, but... I discovered that when I point the camera at myself I neither yawn nor fall asleep. Now, I simply point my webcam at myself and even if I am not recording, the simple fact that I know I am being watched somehow works on my subconscious and keeps me awake. Give it a try.
I have suffered from this for YEARS and I am currently in nursing school. I wanted to video myself to show others just how fast I can fall asleep when reading, but... I discovered that when I point the camera at myself I neither yawn nor fall asleep. Now, I simply point my webcam at myself and even if I am not recording, the simple fact that I know I am being watched somehow works on my subconscious and keeps me awake. Give it a try.
I have the same reading->sleeping problem.
That was probably a good answer.
But i fell asleep reading it lol...
This was a great suggestion and it seems to be working!