The Different Stages Of Falling Asleep In Class

You’re in your third set of the day on a chilly Thursday afternoon. This weather makes you want to curl up into a ball with a blanket and close your eyes for the next 45 minutes. We all know the feeling of fighting to stay awake in class, becoming embarrassed whenever we accidentally scare ourselves awake. While some teachers respect the fact that you may need some extra shut eye, not all of us have this luxury at school and often fight with ourselves throughout the class period in order to stay awake. This internal battle can be defined and identified by four stages:

1. Denial

Trying to convince yourself you’re not actually tired — you just need to readjust your sitting placement in your desk to re-energize yourself. As you’re trying to listen to the lecture presented on the projector, you quickly find yourself desperately trying to grasp any information possible without collapsing from exhaustion. However, your eyes are becoming heavier and heavier as if someone has placed weights on your eyelids. 

2. Hiding the Truth

As class goes on, your hands become a pillow and your chin rests on them. Without even realizing it, you’re already dozing off to sleep at your desk, going through the sensation of falling over every time you close your eyes. After a cycle of snoozing and kicking yourself awake, you finally begin to realize the logistics of getting in trouble for falling asleep in class. Maybe if I put my hair over my face no one will even notice my eyes are closed, you think to yourself. You know it’s super obvious, and your mind begins to wander all around the room — maybe if I act like I’m holding a pencil! 

3. The Fight

At this point, you’re desperately trying to find any motivation to stay awake during this lecture, even chugging ice water with mint gum in your mouth to shock your system. Your arms in your baggy sweater start to look extremely comfortable to lay in, and your strength in this battle is becoming weaker and weaker. There’s little to no gas left in the tank for you to get through this class period, or even the entire school day. 

4. Acceptance

You’ve welcomed this sleepy fate, you don’t even care if your teacher sees your head down on your desk. In fact, you embrace your slumber. You have officially given up and given in to the C set slump you’re experiencing, cozying up in your desk and sweater as if it were your bed and a blanket. This is the best five minute nap you’ve had in what feels like forever, and you don’t know why you didn’t give in to the drowsiness sooner. 

Whether you’re in bed or in your desk, a little cat nap never hurt anyone. Don’t let society tell you sleeping in class is bad — sleep is a necessity of life! Shout out to all the teachers who let us innocent little children catch a little shut eye — you guys make the world go round.