How to Use Modafinil for Studying

Modafinil’s popularity as a study drug is second to none. And there are good reasons why increasingly more students are turning to it over more traditionally used substances like Adderall or Ritalin.

Not only is modafinil as effective in boosting your ability to study, but it is also safe to use and comes with little concern about abuse or addiction. When used correctly, it even offers a few other useful benefits other substances do not.

So, without further ado, here is how you can get the most out of modafinil for studying.

Using Modafinil for Studying

Though initially developed to fight sleep disorders like narcolepsy (1) and sleep apnea (2), modafinil turns out to be the perfect study drug.

It works by affecting four separate neurotransmitters in your brain: dopamine (3), norepinephrine (4), histamine (5), and orexin (6). The result of its unique mechanism of action is an end-to-end improvement to your process of studying.

Modafinil will make you more awake and alert (7), benefits it was developed to give. But, it will also better your focus and concentration (8), as well as improve your memory (9) and overall ability to learn (10).

The end result is that, when using modafinil to study, you can expect to do so for longer and more effectively.

Modafinil Strengths

Though some of these have already been mentioned above, here is a complete list of benefits you can expect after taking modafinil:

• Increased wakefulness and alertness
• Decrease in fatigue
• Improvement to memory
• Greater ability to focus and concentrate
• Boost to motivation

Modafinil Limits

For all the benefits modafinil offers, a miracle drug it is not. It will improve your cognitive abilities and help you perform well even in a sleep-deprived state, but sooner or later, you will have to catch up on your rest. It’s just how your body was designed.

Sleep is the time at which your brain processes and organizes everything it has learned. It’s something modafinil, unfortunately, cannot help with.

Besides making sure you get adequate rest, there are also several potential side effect of modafinil use you should be aware of. The most common issues include:

• Insomnia
• Headaches
• Gastrointestinal discomfort
• Anxiety
• No Appetite
• Dry Mouth

How to Take Modafinil to Study

While you will see benefits from using modafinil to help you study no matter how and when you take it, there are steps you can take to ensure you get the absolute most out of it.

Step 1) Use a Quality Product

Nothing will ruin your modafinil experience faster than using an ineffective batch of pills. No matter how well you follow all the other steps, with an inferior product you’re starting behind the eight ball.

If you have a modafinil prescription and purchased a brand name product from your local pharmacy, you should have little to worry about and can proceed to step 2.

However, using modafinil for studying is considered an off-label use. No doctor will prescribe it for that purpose. This is why the vast majority of people get their modafinil on the internet. Depending on where you go, that could be a hit or miss experience.

That said, there are plenty of good modafinil online sellers, many of who have been around for years. As long as you buy from one of them or another reputable and recommended source, everything will be fine.

Step 2) Get a Good Night’s Sleep

As mentioned previous, taking modafinil is not a substitution for getting sufficient rest. It will help you feel awake, sharp, and productive, but ultimately your brain still needs sleep to work at its best.

If possible (and that, of course, is not always the case), try to be well rested before using modafinil as a study drug. Your brain will be starting off from a much better place than if you’re already sleep deprived, and the cognitive boost modafinil gives you will be that much better.

Step 3) Eat a Good Breakfast and Prepare a Snack

A fairly common side effect of modafinil is a reduced or even completely suppressed appetite (11)(12). This is one of the reasons some people use it as a weight loss aid.

In the very short term, skipping a meal or two is not a huge issue. However, if you end up going too long without properly feeding your body (and brain), your cognitive performance will take a hit, making modafinil less effective than it otherwise could be.

Several studies have clearly shown the link between nutrient deficiency and reduced cognitive function (13)(14). Problems like difficulty concentrating or brain fog can all be effects of it.

Always start your day off with a well-balanced, nutrient-rich meal to support your brain and give it the fuel it needs as you study. Because modafinil reduces your appetite, breakfast may end up being the last meal you have until dinner.

On that note, also be sure to prepare a good snack when making breakfast and keep it near you (preferably within sight) as you go about your studying.

You likely won’t feel hungry but make yourself eat anyways. Having already prepared food within an arm’s reach will make this much more likely.

Step 4) Take Modafinil

With a good night’s sleep and a nutritious breakfast behind you, it is now time to take modafinil.

Modafinil takes up to an hour to take effect. Keep that in mind. To use it effectively and get the most out of it, try to take it at least a half hour before you begin studying.

Step 5) Eliminate Distractions

Before you sit down and study, one last thing you should do is eliminate all distractions. Close your email, put your phone in do not disturb mode.

Ideally, you should also be in a space that is somewhat isolated from other people. Many modafinil users have issues working or studying on modafinil in a public place.

Why go through all this trouble?

Modafinil increases your focus and makes it hard to break away from whatever it is that you’ve zeroed in on. As odd as it may sound, if something or someone steals your focus with modafinil in your system, it may be a long while before you’re able to ignore it and get back to your studying.

Step 6) Start Studying

So far, you got your hands on a quality product, you’ve had a good night’s sleep, ate a nutritious breakfast, have a healthy snack within reach, and got rid of all nearby distractions.

You’re now in a place to use modafinil most effectively. It’s time to do some studying.

Modafinil has a 12-hour half-life (15). On average, that is how long you can expect to remain productive after taking it. Twelve hours is a long time and should be more than enough to put in a good day’s (or night’s) work and get all your studying out of the way.

Step 7) Allow for Recovery Time

There’s one more step you need to take after finishing a modafinil study session. Recover and prepare for the next one.

If using modafinil as a study aid is something you intend on doing fairly often, it’s critical you develop a good routine. This way, you can get the most out of both the drug and your study sessions.

You won’t feel tired on modafinil. But, that doesn’t mean your body is not ready for rest. Getting good sleep is essential. And since going to sleep when using modafinil can be tricky, it is something you will need to plan ahead of time.

Your sleep target should be between 7 and 9 hours, the standard amount recommended for all adults (16).

Also, when you don’t need to take modafinil, don’t. Even though research shows people don’t develop a tolerance to it (17), there is anecdotal evidence to the contrary (18)(19). When possible, it’s a good idea to give your body a break.

Modafinil Dosage for Studying

The typical modafinil dose used for studying is 200 mg. However, some people may find that amount too stimulating. If that is you, a reduced dosage of 100 mg or even 50 mg can still be very effective.

Generic versions of modafinil, which is what nearly everyone uses, are called Modalert or Modvigil and come in pill sizes of 200 mg or 100 mg. Both can be purchased at ModafinilXL or most other reputable online modafinil sellers.

Another option you have is to take armodafinil, which goes under the generic names Artvigil and Waklert. It’s a compound very closely related to but slightly stronger than modafinil and one to which you may react slightly differently.

When using armodafinil for studying, the recommended dosage is 150 mg. But, that amount too can be reduced to either 100 mg or 50 mg if needed.

How to Take Modafinil Safely

Modafinil is considered a safe medication (20), especially when compared against other study drugs like Adderall or Ritalin.

The vast majority of users will not experience any adverse effects. A few may run into some relatively minor problems like headaches or insomnia, both of which can be eliminated.

But, there are also a few other safety precautions you should consider when using modafinil.

Check for Allergies

A tiny percentage of the population may find themselves hypersensitive or allergic to modafinil.

Symptoms include skin inflammation that, if it gets bad enough, may require medical treatment (21). The most extreme case of an allergic skin reaction is called Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

If you like to play things safe and want to be sure you’re not one of the unlucky few who are allergic to modafinil, start off with a small dose and build up slowly.

For the first few days, only take 50 mg. If everything seems fine, increase to 100 mg for the next few days and, if you still don’t experience any reactions, only then proceed to the full 200 mg dose.

Stay Hydrated

Another potential issue to be aware of when taking modafinil is dehydration. It can be brought on in two ways.

First, your body uses liquid to get modafinil out of your system. As a result, you will need to drink more water on days when you use the drug.

Second, because of how much modafinil increases your concentration, you may find yourself so focused on studying you simply forget to drink.

It’s a good idea to keep a bottle of water within reach when using modafinil. You may also want to consider setting an alarm or timer to remind yourself to take a few sips every one or two hours.

Don’t Mix It With Other Stimulants or Alcohol

Few modafinil users realize that modafinil is a powerful potentiator. It amplifies the effects of any other stimulant in mixes with.

This is the main reason why you should be very careful when mixing modafinil with coffee or any other caffeine source. Having just a single cup will have the effect of drinking several and may result in overstimulation.

You should also avoid drinking alcohol when taking modafinil. The two substances not only worsen each other’s side effects, but modafinil may cause you to overdrink.

Besides, alcohol also decreases the quality of your sleep (22), a vital part of the equation when taking modafinil to study.

Summary

Using modafinil for studying can be very effective. It makes you more awake and alert. It improves your focus. It betters your memory and overall learning abilities. In other words, it is one powerful study drug.

Modafinil is not a silver bullet, however. To get the most out of your studies, you will need to combine it with the right amount of sleep, proper nutrition, and a bit of self-discipline.

That said, with a pretty much guaranteed 12 hours of quality study time (if not longer), modafinil is a great tool to have in your arsenal.

References

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