*The following is an in-depth analysis with tested tactics.
There are two ways of sleeping in class: the Dead Sleep and the Semi-Conscious Power-Nap.
The Dead Sleep is when you are so tired that you mistake your desk for your bed, your book for your pillow. Not much we can do there except to ask a kind classmate to wake you up when your teacher is looking. Or to obstruct your teacher’s view so you can get some much-needed beauty sleep.
The Semi-Conscious Power-Nap
This method is more preferable, as there is a quicker recovery time and a much smaller risk of getting caught.
There are two ways to power nap: semi-consciousness and light sleep. The majority cannot attain semi-consciousness, and power-napping is much more preferable. It is a much lighter sleep than normal slumber, and you may awaken from it in an instant.
Most teachers do mind when you sleep in class, so they are the biggest concern. Most of the time only embarrassment will result when a teacher catches you while napping in class; however in some cases a detention may be a consequence. Therefore one must always be ready for a quick recovery in order to turn the tables. There are several methods by which to do so; some may pertain to specific subjects while others may be more general.
Math Class: If you happen to be a math wizard, then this is the optimal class to rest in, mainly because if you are smart and quick, you will never find yourself in trouble for it.
Preparation: You can do several things to ensure a restful nap.
- First and foremost is to prepare yourself by knowing what exactly your teacher will be covering during the day’s lecture. If you need help with that, look at your book and see what section your class is on.
- If your teacher is going orally reviewing practice problems in the book, you can write down all the answers for the problems ahead of time.
- Always be prepared and have all your materials spread out all across your desk.
In case you are called on:
- If your teacher asks if you were sleeping, always answer no. You were either thinking deep, resting your eyes (because you stayed up so late last night studying for your favorite subject, math), or in the worst case scenario, power-napping. But you were never sleeping.
- If your teacher is going over problems orally and you have all the answers written down ahead of time, name the right answer. If you do not know what number you are on, then name of any answer that you see on your paper, but answer in question form, i.e. “Is it …?”
Should you be right, your karma is good. If you are wrong, your teacher will tell you what number the class is on, and they will try to use a tone that will embarrass you. Do not be intimidated. Pretend to scrutinize your paper, and exclaim one of the following:
- “Oh! Waaiiiittt… that’s what I was doing wrong… Hold on lemme redo this.” And then give the correct answer.
- “Ohhh, wait I was looking at the wrong line. My bad.” And proceed to give the correct answer.
*If you are hopelessly lost, ask to go to the bathroom.
English Class: English class has several opportunities which can be taken advantage of. They include:
- During a class reading session
- During SSR
- During a silent work time (i.e. worksheets)
During any of these times it is advisable to sleep silently, without snoring.
- During a class reading session, prop your book up on the desk and lie down, so the book will obstruct your teacher’s view. In the case that you are called on to read, ask a friend to let you know where to start reading inconspicuously.
To do so, when the teacher calls on you to read and you immediately awaken, you may not have a clue as to where to start reading. Clumsily knock your book off the desk. This is when your friend should advise you as to where to start.
*Some teachers do not allow you to prop your book on your desk for this reason. In that case, place your book in your lap, and look down, giving the appearance that you are reading along while you are actually resting. Should you be asked to read, follow the instructions from the above.
If it is a recording that is reading the book, be sure that your teacher just hits play and goes to work. If so, then have a friend wake you up at the end. If your teacher is the kind that patrols the class, then you should either:
a) ask a friend to turn the pages for you, while your head is on the desk facing the book to make it look as though you are reading,
b) deal with it, since you’re out of luck.
- During SSR, make sure you have a book out and that you are resting quietly.
- During a silent work period, it is a good time to rest, especially after you have finished your work. However, if you wish to rest before/without completing the assignment, this part will be a bit trickier. Actually it will only be trickier if you care about your grades.
- If the assignment is not due at the end of class, then enjoy a well deserved rest.
If not… (Note that this tactic will only work for some people)
- First thing to do is to continually go to your teacher for help.
- Complain about how hard it is to understand the assignment/subject matter.
- Ask if you can come in after school for some extra help. In the meantime, you will work on other things.
- If your teacher agrees, then proceed…
- “Work” on another assignment.
- After school, run into the room and hurriedly explain to your teacher how sorry you are, but you forgot that you had a ___________, but you are willing to come early in the morning. (fill with item such as dentist’s/doctor’s/ortho appointment.)
- The next morning tell your teacher that you have it all figured out after asking your genius friend to explain it to you.
Science Class: There are a few chances to catch a few winks in this class set-type.
They include:
~Lectures
~Assignments
~Videos
- Lectures: If you have a good friend who will have the same notes that you should be taking, you will be okay. Just try to look like you’re taking notes, and get the notes from your good note-taking friend.
- Assignments: Like in English, if the assignment is not due, then power-napping can be a priority. Note that the same principles that apply in English apply here.
- Videos: These are always presenting tempting situations which seem like very good ones. However, you must be aware of several things before deciding whether or not you should sleep.
A) Will the material in the video be in the test?
If so, you should probably watch it as no amount of notes can compensate for the amount of comprehension you receive by watching the video yourself.
B) Are there questions accompanying the video?
If yes, then you can either
- Not answer the questions
- Copy off of someone else
- Use either your brains or psychic abilities to answer the questions (this will not apply to all videos)
History Class: In this class you may employ several tactics, as it has more of a lecture-notes-assignment-discussion based class. You may use several tactics listed above as you see necessary, and then some.
**It is not advised that you rest during discussions as you might miss valuable information that may pertain to your test, or information that may clarify things for you.
Physical Education: It is highly advised that you in this class unless you are marked for failure. The reason being that the only likely way is to be able to sleep:
- While standing, running, or walking
- With your eyes open
P.E. Class presents little chance to sleep, unless, of course, you are an expert sleepwalker and you can subconsciously control all of your actions, even in a deep sleep.
These are all ways which can be used to get your beauty sleep; however be sure to not overuse these tactics as it may result in dire consequences. If you are really determined, you must always remember that cleverness and wit is always needed to outsmart those teachers of yours. Do not limit yourself to the suggestions which are listed in this guide. Use your ingenuity in order to find what works best for you – every person is different. A final word: there is nothing like a good snooze right in the middle/end/beginning/for the duration of class. Trust me. I’m an expert.
