Before you read this, I need to let you know that I am not a medical doctor and if you decide to try any supplement, you should only do so in consultation with your healthcare provider. Okay, let’s get to the post.
Nerves. Nightmares. Stress.
These all can weigh on people studying for the bar exam. But, study after study shows that getting enough sleep (preferably seven to eight hours per night) is essential for optimal brain function. (One study shows that sleep deprivation is like being drunk.)
What can you do to make sure you get enough sleep while preparing for the bar exam or otherwise?
First, get rid of all sleep stealers.
By sleep stealers, and mean things like iPods, iPads, televisions, laptop computers, etc. in your bedroom. A Kindle is probably okay because it is not backlit and is roughly equivalent to reading a book. It is the backlighting on these devices that influences your brain to think that it should stay awake because it is being exposed to light. If you don’t want to eliminate these devices entirely from your bedroom, just make sure that you stop using them at least 30 minutes before you want to go to sleep. In fact, many studies show that bright light exposure late at night disturbs your sleep.
Second, make sure that you are physically active during the day.
This not only helps your body become tired when it is time to sleep, but also increases blood flow to the brain, keeping it healthy. This is important when you are preparing to take a stressful test, such as the bar exam. Without proper sleep, your brain functioning will be impaired and will be more difficult to make good decisions quickly, as is required during the bar examination.
Third, eat right.
Avoid foods that you know cause indigestion, which can make you wake up in the middle of the night. After all, if you can go to sleep at night, it is a shame to wake up because your spicy burrito is coming back to haunt you.
Fourth, learn to calm your mind and clear it of concerns about the bar exam.
Obviously, this is easier said than done. By doing exercises to calm your fear and visualizations that help you believe you’ll succeed on the bar exam, you will have a more restful sleep. Meditation can also be useful.
Finally, if you are still having trouble sleeping, you can — after consulting with a health care professional — use herbal and hormonal remedies to help reset your sleeping patterns.
One commonly used herb is valerian. This herb must be taken for two or three weeks continuously in order to reset your sleeping patterns. If you need a short-term knockout, kava kava or melatonin have a long history of safe, short-term use. Be sure to check out my melatonin experiment.
(NOTE: You need to be aware that kava kava has a risk of addiction and liver damage for long-term use, so do not use it for more than a few days of the time. Kava kava can also interact with certain medications, so consult a doctor where necessary.)
***
[Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/perfectoinsecto/3374826437/]
P.S. -- Want a FREE copy of my Bar Exam Mind audiobook?
You can get a free copy of my audiobook when you sign up for a free trial at Audible. Get the details by clicking here.
