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Sleep Deprivation: Night before the exam

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Sleep Deprivation: Night before the exam

by shikhargmat » Fri Sep 02, 2011 2:34 am
Hi,

I m not facing a new problem but till now I m noting having any solution to it.
I first prepared for GMAT last year. Got to 700 level in my Practice Tests but on the night before the exam, could not sleep at all.
So finally scored 630.
It took me a long time to get started again. This time I m doing even better with my Practice Tests (new tests). Have been a little more confident than last year.
But, the problem is the same. Struggling with sleep for last few days, but it was manageable.
Yesterday was my GMAT Date and unfortunately could not sleep at all in night before the exam and was left with no choice but to cancel the exam.
I have tried writing a Practice Test earlier with similar condition and I know that I do not perform well without a proper sleep.

My current day schedule includes:
1) A good amount of time walking.
2) I do not sleep during day time.
3) Eat good enough. A little more than needed.
4) A glass of hot milk while sleeping.
5) Started taking Anti-Anxiety medicine 4-5 days back but no +ve results as such.
6) When studying, I stand for at least 2-3 hours (just to have a better sleep in night).

Moreover, in both the cases, the main problem has been the anxiety of night before the exam. This has not happened with me earlier.
Please suggest, how can I come out of it.
I do not want to defeated by this reason.

Shikhar
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by AbhiJ » Fri Sep 02, 2011 3:12 am
Book a time later in the days and don't force yourself to sleep. Half an hour before your usual sleeping time watch some funny movies/videos so that you are not stressed while going to sleep. It will be difficult to fall asleep just after studying for the GMAT.
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by bblast » Fri Sep 02, 2011 8:06 am
This is a very genuine and common problem. I have also struggled to fall asleep all my life till now. And studying for the GMAT does not help the cause of sleeping.(even despite heavy workouts every evening)

To solve the problem, I chant a long holy mantra in my mind and visualize the almighty after switching off the lights and that helps me fall asleep in 5-10 minutes. If u concentrate on a single thing, u are more likely to fall asleep than when thinking about the ocean of GMAT !!!

Alternatively, watch TV as suggested above to distract yourself from thinking about the test.
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by David@VeritasPrep » Sat Sep 03, 2011 5:03 pm
This is a real problem. I have experienced this when getting ready for running races. I used to do races of different lengths and they are nearly always early in the morning. I could set 3 alarms and I would still think that they would not go off and so I could not sleep at all! Luckily running does not require the brain function of data sufficiency so I was okay...

The suggestions above are great. Test later in the day and meditation at bed time.

I can give you some science behind some things as I have researched this a bit....

First, the TV. Studies have shown that watching TV actually uses less brain function than sleeping. TV watching is the closest thing to having your brain be dead. For this reason people can watch Tv FOR HOURS AND HOURS and not fall asleep. I think a book or a mantra is much better for falling asleep. When I was in graduate school I could fall asleep any time of the day or night if I was lying down with a text book in hand!

Second, this may give you hope... research into sleep has shown (I am really passionate about this sleep stuff) anyway research has shown that the big problem is TWO SLEEPLESS nights in a row. One sleepless night can be endured and overcome. Two night sleep missed in a row left people's brains in the same state as if they had been heavily drinking alcohol! What they always used to say before those running races (everyone was nervous and sleepless for those) is that it is the night before the night before that really matters. So if your test is for say Saturday, then Thursday night is the important one.

So if you can schedule the test for later in the day (assuming that is possible) and if you have gotten sleep two nights before then you can relax and know that it is okay and if you throw in a little meditation or a boring textbook then you can get some sleep.

And I am serious that only a few hours of sleep will be enough to get your full score. If you cannot get 8 hours but only say 4 that will be enough if you had good sleep the previous night.

Hope it helps!
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by shikhargmat » Sun Sep 04, 2011 8:22 am
Thanks for your suggestions.

David, I do get around 4 hours of sleep before the exam but in both cases the problem was tiredness lying on bed for like 8-9hours.
Even I get a good sleep 2 nights before the exam.
I m good at AWA, good at Quant but by the time I get to Verbal, I m not able to concentrate well and end up spoiling it.
My Doctor has advised me to try sleeping pill (given by him) for next 3-4 days. In case body gets used to of it (without Sedation), I might have to take that way.
Have also started practicing not studying at least 1-2 hours before sleeping.
Any Comments.
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by David@VeritasPrep » Sun Sep 04, 2011 9:26 am
This tiredness may be based on your mindset and approach on test day as well you know.

There was a recent New York Times article on the impact to your stamina of making tough decisions.

The more you agonize about a decision and the more impact that you feel the decision has the more of your energy that is specifically used to analyze and make decisions will be used up.

You can only make so many tough and agonizing decisions at a time. If you are spending too much agony on the AWA instead of just letting it happen then this will tax you. If you are more agonized on test day during the quantitative - because after all now it is for real and you are probably extra involved in each decision - the more you will be unable to really focus on the verbal.

I am just saying that your tiredness during the verbal may not be entirely due to lack of sleep but can also have some roots in the way in which your mind is set during the day. Try not to have things impact you and try not to make any tough decisions or exercise much self control on test day. These things use the same energy your brain needs to focus on the verbal.

Obviously more sleep the night before will help. But look into the amount of self control that you are using on test day and the number of tough decisions you are agonizing over. The less you agonize on test day the more you will have left at the end.
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by adi_800 » Wed Sep 07, 2011 9:27 am
Well..This is interesting..
I have given it a thought... What I think is to make you forcibly sleep before the day of the test, if u have less sleep the day before, then u ll naturally fall sleep early that day...

Confusing ?? I know !! :-)
If you have a test on lets say Saturday...then if u do not have enough sleep on Thursday night...then naturally you are going early to bed on Friday night (the night before the exam). You are going to be real sleepy on Friday night n this will surely help !! But this is provided, you do not sleep for a minute on in the entire day...

But David has some different thoughts...
Any comments ??
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by Brian@VeritasPrep » Wed Sep 07, 2011 11:12 am
Hey adi,

I see what you're saying - that sounds a little dangerous to me, though, because if you intentionally deprive yourself of sleep one night and then run into anxiety the next night, now you're down two nights of sleep and things could get really rough really quickly.

The sleep deprivation we're talking about is almost always a case of anxiety and adrenalin keeping you up the night before a big event. The typical reasons for that are:

1) Fear of oversleeping or missing your alarm, so you wake up periodically in that "did I miss it?" panic and you get an awful night's sleep

2) You're thinking so much about the next day that your body doesn't relax and you stay up

3) You're thinking so much about trying to go to sleep that you build up angst and frustration with your inability to sleep and that keeps you restless

I'd say that, for most people, it's not going to be a case in which "being more tired" will help, but everyone is different and you've hopefully over the years learned some strategies that work well for you. If TV tends to lull you to sleep, then that may be your best bet; if reading does it (I keep a copy of Tocqueville next to my bed...3 pages and I'm out!), then do that; if it's a glass of wine or warm milk, then that's probably your angle. And a word to the wise on that - if you haven't traditionally used Ambien or NyQuil or anything like that in the past, don't start the night before the test! Don't shake up your normal routine with a drug that could potentially make you sluggish or flaky just because someone else recommended it!!

I'd also add this about the kind of anxiety that costs you sleep - know that it's normal and in a lot of ways it's a good thing. If you were to buy a lottery ticket tonight with the drawing tomorrow, you'd sleep just fine because you have no reason to believe you'll be successful; but with a test like the GMAT that you've prepared hard for, you'll be nervous precisely because you've earned the right to expect success. So, really, those nerves are a good thing! Remind yourself that nerves are inevitable if you've worked hard, so they're nothing to get too worked up about. Don't get frustrated when it takes a little longer to sleep...remind yourself that adrenalin is positive energy and let that be a reason to be confident and calm.
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by VivianKerr » Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:00 am
Just to add a few more tips for getting to sleep:

1. Set a routine. We are creatures of habit. 30 minutes before bedtime announce to yourself, "I am going to prepare to sleep now." Try to keep this 30 minute routine before bedtime the same. If you can go to bed at the SAME TIME every night in the 2 weeks pre-GMAT, and wake up at the SAME TIME, your body clock will adjust.

2. Remove electronic devices from the bedroom. Apparently any kind of artificial light or sound can interfere with sleep. Move your cell phone, laptop, and any other gadgets to the next room.

3. Use ear plugs. When you have them in, you can listen to your heartbeat. It's like being back in the womb.

4. Remove any artificial light. If you have traffic lights or street lamps shining in through your windows cover them up with a large blanket. Try to make your bedroom pitch-black. You might even need to get a sleeping mask.

5. Lie on the floor & repeat these mantras. Slowly stretch your neck from side to side. As you breathe in and out say to yourself: "I have worked hard. I am ready. I allow myself to rest." Once you feel your neck is supple and your spine has relaxed, crawl into bed.

6. Get a professional massage. A little pricier-- but a nice splurge the day before an exam!
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