HOW-TO Fridays: Sneaking Sleep

I consider myself as having a bit of experience when it comes to this matter. 5 years of study at architecture where no-one had sleep, 3 years of WAAPA where no-one has sleep and before moving to the afternoon services at FGA, church early on a Sunday morning where everybody who isn't serving, wants to sleep. All those ways of sneaking in sleep when you should be doing something else. Yes, it does depend quite a bit on context and company but as you'll soon see, there are ways around everything.

Class:

This depends on location, location, location. If you're in a lecture hall of a substantial size, anywhere from middle to back on the sides will serve you well. Pop your files and books in front of you as a barrier, prop your temple on your palm and cover your eyes like you're concentrating. Close eyes and hey presto, a nap whilst appearing that you're concentrating really hard. In no circumstance do you sit dead centre or in the front or in a combination of both. It equals something either being thrown at your head or attention called to you mid-lecture.

If you're sitting in a classroom where the walls are considerably smaller and the teacher in closer proximity, drink a Red Bull. There's no way you can get past the teacher in this case unless you claim a previously undiagnosed case of narcolepsy. Absolutely do not fall asleep with your teacher and guest lecturer sitting right next to you, as I did in my first year at WAAPA, with my design tutor and head of the props department less than a metre from me. i got a lot of stick from my classmates and an enquiry to my health from my tutor.

Library:

This is easier. Find yourself a sunny cubicle away from the masses (3rd floor northern facade of Reid Library at UWA, eastern facade, education stacks at the archi library, anywhere at ECU library because it's dead anyway) position yourself on the tabletop with all valuable goods and belongings carefully stowed away out of eyesight, books and pens strewn about and knock off. Use an iPod or something similar to block out any noise that might happen to creep into a library. Those "only for quiet study" rooms at Curtin- no. Either you snore and people kick you out or your headphones don't work the other way when it comes to keeping your music leaking out.

Party:

Sometimes you don't mean to be a party pooper but you're just so very tired that you can't help it. This now gets tricky. Don't sleep in public, that's a given. If it's out in public somewhere, just don't go. However, if it's a house party- you can sleep if you need. Party with just close friends? Find a bedroom or a couch, ask permission and zone on out. Party with people you don't know and there's more of them than of people you know? Find a room that has a lockable door, find a place to crash and stick a pillow over your head. Very important to find a locked door, doesn't even matter if it's the bathroom (not the toilet though) because whilst you can kip down into the bath-tub in desperate times, you can't un-see 2 randoms getting it on in front of you. Therefore, lock your door.

Church:

Let me preface this with a disclaimer- in no way do I endorse sleeping in church. You're there for a reason, not to snooze. That being said however, we all know that sometimes, life gets the better of you and sitting quietly for 2 hours in a warm, safe location is tantamount to placing a downy feather bed in front of you after an all-nighter. So- how to sleep in church? Scooch on down in your seat, brace your legs against your chair slipping, head onto chest (this is so you don't end up leaning and drooling over the person to your left or right) and doze. If you're in a lecture hall for church, use the above mentioned guide for Class. In no way for both should you be sitting in the front row- spare the pastor some hurt feelings and snooze in the back.