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I've noticed my performance is significantly better after I sleep a lot or after I take a nap. That's great, but summer vacation has messed with my sleep schedule to the point where I can't function before 11 AM. Bad for the October LSAT.

Any good ways to readjust sleep schedules? I don't usually drink caffeine.

ninjasrule wrote:I've noticed my performance is significantly better after I sleep a lot or after I take a nap. That's great, but summer vacation has messed with my sleep schedule to the point where I can't function before 11 AM. Bad for the October LSAT.

Any good ways to readjust sleep schedules? I don't usually drink caffeine.

Uh, just do it? Set your alarm at 8 am and do that everyday except for maybe one day a week. You'll get used to it in a couple weeks. Don't you need to wake up for class or work or something anyways?

Don't sleep at all for one night (or very minimal, like 1~2 hours), spend the next day like a zombie and then sleep @ 8~9 pm that night. Wake up refreshed around 5~6am

This might be a good place to bring this up. I've been contemplating trying to switch to a nocturnal sleeping schedule for the LSAT. Meaning, I would sleep the day before the test, stay up all night, take the test in the morning, and then sleep. I thought I might function better that way, but I don't know.

What do you all think of that?

Take two benadryl at 9:30pm.
Take three shots of any alcohol. No caffinated chaser.

You should feel drowsy to the point of nearly instant sleep by around 10:30. Do this for a week straight and you'll have changed your sleeping pattern. A warning on the box says causes extreme drowsiness. And I have to agree, it really really really is almost certain to knock you out. It presents no immediate harm to the best of my knowledge and research, but I can't imagine that it is something you should do beyond when you need to.

I did this last night and woke up at 6:30 this morning feeling fully rested. I don't really recommend drugging yourself to sleep, but when things cause horrible disruption to your life (i.e. being fully adjusted to 4am sleeptime), I think its a viable solution.

Be sure to fully hydrate in the morning, before you shower, etc.

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For Adjudicator.

I think that's a bad idea. I see it almost as providing an excuse for yourself if you do horribly. You are not going to succeed if you do not go all in. You are not going to be your best when you are nearing drowsiness. I think your approach is essentially setting up grounds to say "OH IT WAS THAT SLEEP THING" when you get a disappointing score.

Adjudicator wrote:This might be a good place to bring this up. I've been contemplating trying to switch to a nocturnal sleeping schedule for the LSAT. Meaning, I would sleep the day before the test, stay up all night, take the test in the morning, and then sleep. I thought I might function better that way, but I don't know.

What do you all think of that?

If you want to do this you should be on that schedule for at least a week beforehand... (and hopefully a week-long trial run to see if this works). Does your schedule allow you to do this?

Dunno, it might work for you but I'd definitely recommend trying it out.

You can find melatonin in the vitamin and supplement section of Walmart and other pharmacies. You can start taking this at night about half an hour before you want to go to sleep. Melatonin is a hormone that is used to signal the body that it is time for sleep, but you want to make sure you check for drug interactions just like you would with any medicine or supplement.

Have two glasses of red wine and listen to Ayn Rand on audiotape. If the red wine doesn't get you the Ayn Rand will be like an anvil to your temple.

Blindc1rca wrote:Have two glasses of red wine and listen to Ayn Rand on audiotape. If the red wine doesn't get you the Ayn Rand will be like an anvil to your temple.

Mirrored wrote: ---

For Adjudicator.

I think that's a bad idea. I see it almost as providing an excuse for yourself if you do horribly. You are not going to succeed if you do not go all in. You are not going to be your best when you are nearing drowsiness. I think your approach is essentially setting up grounds to say "OH IT WAS THAT SLEEP THING" when you get a disappointing score.

I'm not planning on doing horribly or needing to excuse a disappointing score, but.... thanks?

Adjudicator, I agree, terrible idea.

Patriot1208 wrote:Adjudicator, I agree, terrible idea.

I'm probably not going to do it, but would you mind explaining why?

Probably see a psychologist.

adjunct:
depending on the test day center you are assigned to it may take over an hour for all of the paperwork and scantron form fillings to be completed. Then the test begins. You would not be finishing the test unti 1-2 pm, depending on time. Unless you begin practicing staying up all night, and going to bed in the afternoon ( most cases this would be a dramatic shift in sleep patterns), you wont be getting yourself used to the test day conditions.

This is why many people ( myself included) think this is a bad idea.

kazu wrote:Don't sleep at all for one night (or very minimal, like 1~2 hours), spend the next day like a zombie and then sleep @ 8~9 pm that night. Wake up refreshed around 5~6am

+1

This honestly works pretty well. I do this if I need to get into the 8-5 work schedule in a couple days or if I'm recovering from jet lag.

ninjasrule wrote:I've noticed my performance is significantly better after I sleep a lot or after I take a nap. That's great, but summer vacation has messed with my sleep schedule to the point where I can't function before 11 AM. Bad for the October LSAT.

Any good ways to readjust sleep schedules? I don't usually drink caffeine.

After living in a very different time zone for months, my sleep sched was horrible.
I was able to adjust it in one night without drugs or sleep deprivation or anything.

All I did was fast 16 hours before the time I wanted to wake up at.
So if you want to wake up at 8am, start fasting at 4pm the day before. Then once you fall asleep, no matter at what time, you're just about guaranteed to wake up near 8am because your body will naturally awaken to look for food. You can also set an alarm to ensure that you wake up. Then make sure you eat a full breakfast shortly after you get up, and you'll be good to go.

There's a ton of research on this too

Adjudicator wrote:

Patriot1208 wrote:Adjudicator, I agree, terrible idea.

I'm probably not going to do it, but would you mind explaining why?

Because it's an abnormal thing for you to do. You have had great success in your prep and doing something like this is very risky. You could end up becoming extremely groggy and having a hard time concentrating or something equally as bad.

Adjudicator wrote:

Patriot1208 wrote:Adjudicator, I agree, terrible idea.

I'm probably not going to do it, but would you mind explaining why?

Because it's an abnormal thing for you to do. You have had great success in your prep and doing something like this is very risky. You could end up becoming extremely groggy and having a hard time concentrating or something equally as bad.