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hi

I'm not sure how bizarre this may seem to anyone (probably not too unusual), but as I am scheduled for the Dec 2010 LSAT, I haven't had a good night's sleep for the past few days and I'm afraid these sleepless nights are foreshadowing my Friday night before the exam.

I will admit I am one to succumb to anxiety quite often: carbs, twitching eyelids, nail biting, etc. But sleeping has never been an issue. I have taken the LSAT before and yes, I couldn't sleep a wink the night before and that was CLEARLY shown on my score.

nStiver was kind enough to share his sleepless night experience and it really made me aware that I need to correct this problem before Dec. 10th.

Never tried sleeping pills in my life and I'm a bit scared that any grogginess will leak into the following day. That's just more study time that I need.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I would very much appreciate any help.

I feel like those kids in "A Nightmare on Elm Street." I just can't sleep!

DO NOT take sleeping pills, esp. if you are not used to them. I occasionally use them, as i've always had trouble sleeping. I do get a great night's sleep, however--- there are times i wake up and it takes me a VERY long time to get focused and really "wake up"-- what a terrible feeling to have when trying to get your brain to feel at its optimal level of alert.

my advice: get a massage the night before the test, or something equally relaxing if you don't like massages. The night before my LSAT, i got a massage, pedicure, went home and took a hot bath and went to bed after watching a little tv and just relaxing. I didn't get a TON of sleep because of nerves, but even just laying in bed i felt so relaxed, it was very restful and i didn't feel exhausted the next morning. rather, i felt very alert and clear-headed.
edited because i made a few spelling errors-- i'm multitasking right now lol

Try working out, running, or something that makes you break a sweat in the evening, come home take a shower and go to bed. It never fails me at least

Rub one out before bed.

Also, working out is a good idea, but do it well before you go to bed (if you do it late, you'll end up having too much energy when you want to be sleeping).

Maybe try melatonin, which is essentially a natural sleep remedy, but works pretty well. Of course, don't try it for the first time the night before the LSAT... I would definitely try it for a few days before. I find that it definitely helps me sleep (though it gives me some weird dreams), and in the morning it takes me a few extra minutes to fully wake up, but once I'm up and moving I feel extra alert and peppy (usually within 20 min or so).

(Unfortunately, I'm in a similar boat on the anxiety front- not only have I had trouble sleeping, but ever since I OD'd on red bull for the October LSAT, my caffeine tolerance has plummeted... a few sips turns me into a jittery mess. I love coffee, and I can't imagine not having some before a big test, so it's very frustrating!)

Squats, bench press, and 10+ sets of bicep curls always work for me bro.

In all seriousness, working out does wonders for me in terms of sleep.

By the way, I forgot to mention, but melatonin is also good for trying to reset your sleep pattern. That is, even if you decide you don't want to use it the night before the LSAT, it could still be useful for the next week or so if you want to get yourself into a pattern of going to bed earlier. I for one am going to start taking 3mg every night around 10, so I can be out by 10:30 and up by 6:30.

glitter178 wrote:DO NOT take sleeping pills, esp. if you are not used to them. I occasionally use them, as i've always had trouble sleeping. I do get a great night's sleep, however--- there are times i wake up and it takes me a VERY long time to get focused and really "wake up"-- what a terrible feeling to have when trying to get your brain to feel at its optimal level of alert.

my advice: get a massage the night before the test, or something equally relaxing if you don't like massages. The night before my LSAT, i got a massage, pedicure, went home and took a hot bath and went to bed after watching a little tv and just relaxing. I didn't get a TON of sleep because of nerves, but even just laying in bed i felt so relaxed, it was very restful and i didn't feel exhausted the next morning. rather, i felt very alert and clear-headed.
edited because i made a few spelling errors-- i'm multitasking right now lol

thank you! exactly what i needed to know about sleeping pills, especially since I'm pretty sensitive to meds. i'm scheduling a mani-pedi on Friday as we speak!

2014 wrote:Try working out, running, or something that makes you break a sweat in the evening, come home take a shower and go to bed. It never fails me at least

Nonok wrote:Squats, bench press, and 10+ sets of bicep curls always work for me bro.

In all seriousness, working out does wonders for me in terms of sleep.

Yes, I haven't worked out in a couple weeks due to me just OCDing with studying and drilling. I will definitely get back to the gym this week. Thanks, both of you. (As sad as this is, I remember an LR strengthen question that discussed late afternoon workouts inducing deep sleep. I guess it was trying to tell me something).

amorfati wrote:By the way, I forgot to mention, but melatonin is also good for trying to reset your sleep pattern. That is, even if you decide you don't want to use it the night before the LSAT, it could still be useful for the next week or so if you want to get yourself into a pattern of going to bed earlier. I for one am going to start taking 3mg every night around 10, so I can be out by 10:30 and up by 6:30.

Thank you! I just looked this up and Costco has a brand called "Sleep." No chemicals and all natural. I think I'll try it over the weekend and see if it works

mrmangs wrote:Rub one out before bed.

Also, working out is a good idea, but do it well before you go to bed (if you do it late, you'll end up having too much energy when you want to be sleeping).

Oh trust me, if I had one to rub out I more than likely wouldn't be posting on here

The trick for taking sleeping pills is not to take it right before bed, but to take it 2-3 hours before you go to sleep. That way it doesn't extend into the morning. A friend of mine took 2 in october and got a good 7 hours of sleep, compared to June where he didn't get any.

Exercise.