Each person may have his own reasons why he can’t sleep all night: you need to urgently do some work for your boss, learn an exam, or have time to do your favorite thing, because. there just isn't enough time for it during the day. The question is not only how to stay up all night, but also how to stay awake at night and at the same time be alert and think about something. How long can you go without sleep? In fact, even one day without sleep will affect the human body. The absolute record is 11 days without sleep (listed in the Guinness Book of Records), but fatigue reaches such an extent that it will take a very long time to recover from this, and the damage to health will be noticeable.
If you know in advance that on the upcoming night you need to come up with a way to deal with sleep, you can follow a few tips during the day so that the fight against sleep is not painful at night:
- Sleep during the day.
A short daytime nap of 30-40 minutes will help you stay awake at night, as your strength will be replenished. - Ventilate the room
Be sure to open the window in the evening to let fresh air into the room: the flow of oxygen will help you think more clearly. - Don't Overeat Dinner
Everyone knows that after a heavy meal, the blood rushes to the stomach, the body spends energy on its digestion, and the person is drawn to sleep. A slight feeling of hunger works in the opposite way and will help you get sleepy. - An evening walk
If you're wondering what to do to keep you awake at night, go out into the fresh air yourself before working at night: it works the same way as ventilation. This method will help you cheer up for the upcoming night.
The night seems too long, especially when the eyelids fill up, and strength and mind leave a person. To cheer up at night and stop feeling heaviness in the head, we bring to your attention a number of recommendations on how not to fall asleep, even if you are very tired, and how to overcome sleep. To begin with, create conditions in the room so that you do not want to sleep, namely:
- Turn on a bright light: this will be a signal to your brain that it is not nighttime outside the window.
- Take an uncomfortable position: if you create uncomfortable conditions for yourself, you will not be able to sleep. If possible, stand or walk; if not, sit on a hard chair without a back.
To cheer up and get distracted after a few hours of work, the following techniques will help:
- Take a contrast shower
Alternating warm and cool water will become a good remedy how to deal with sleep. 5-10 minutes will be enough. Alternative option: washing your face with cool water or rubbing with ice cubes. - Influence the receptors of smell and taste
If you want to be in bed, urgently need to take action to stop wanting to sleep. Influencing sharp smells or tastes on your receptors, you have an exciting effect on the nervous system.
Lighting aroma oils, brushing your teeth with mint paste, sucking on mint candies and chewing gum are well suited for this. The latter, in addition to acting on receptors, stimulates blood flow to the chewing muscles and the brain, which allows you to stay alert for several more hours. - Perform acupressure
The method is also based on increased blood flow, which will help get rid of sleep. Impact points: earlobes, popliteal fossae, back of the neck, point between the index and thumb on the hands. - Warm up
If you've been working tirelessly for several hours, it's time to get up and set aside 5 minutes to walk around the room and stretch a little. You can perform 10 squats, torso tilts: this will promote blood flow to organs and tissues, helping to overcome drowsiness. - Sleep after coffee
Another effective way to overcome sleep is a short nap after coffee. The fact is that if you drink coffee, it penetrates into the bloodstream and begins its stimulating effect on the nervous system not immediately, but only after 20 minutes. This time can be used to effectively relax in a short period of time. After waking up, you can not sleep for a long time.
Products for cheerfulness
During the night wakefulness, one way or another, you will want to eat. Therefore, the question naturally arises of what foods can be consumed and what to drink, so that not only do not want to sleep even more, but also which will help to cope with fatigue. Here are the top 5 foods and drinks to help you stay awake:
- Chocolate
Chocolate, like coffee, contains caffeine, which has an encouraging effect on the body. It is best to use dark chocolate. - Meat
Protein has the ability to be slowly digested in the body, which means that after eating a piece of meat, you will have a feeling of satiety and a boost of energy for a long time. - Spices or spicy foods
As mentioned above, by acting on the taste and olfactory receptors, they stimulate the work nervous system helping to stay awake. - Water
Drinking regular water or water with the addition of lemon juice speeds up the metabolism and refreshes the mind. - Energy
A tool that is not very healthy, but created specifically to create the effect of "vigor", which is achieved due to the high content of taurine and caffeine in them.
As you can see, there are quite a few ways to stay awake at night when needed. However, do not abuse it: neglecting a night's sleep too often can lead to serious side effects, up to hallucinations.
List of used literature:
- Neurology. Handbook of practical doctor. D. R. Shtulman, O. S. Levin. M. "Medpress", 2008
- National Institutes of Health. NINDS Hypersomnia Information Page (June 2008). Archived April 6, 2012. (English)
- Poluektov M.G. (ed.) Somnology and sleep medicine. National leadership in memory of A.N. Wayne and Ya.I. Levina M.: "Medforum", 2016.
Not everyone can deny themselves a delicious sandwich in the morning or turn away from a plate of spaghetti at lunch or dinner, but still try to replace bread and noodles with raw grain products. They provide energy and calories, are low in fat, and keep you feeling full for longer thanks to the fiber found in whole grain breads.
For an extra boost of energy, try this unusual recipe like a sandwich from wheat bread with peach slices or grilled vegetables as a side dish to a dish with low level carbohydrates.
If you still feel lethargic and tired even after eating these foods, make sure you are eating enough calories and try adding some protein and fat to your grocery basket. Remember that the right "energy diet" that suits you, you will develop only through trial and error.
Less caffeine. How many of us drink at least one cup of coffee, tea, soda, or other caffeinated beverage a day? Absolute majority. And despite such caffeine replenishment of the body, many still feel tired by noon. It turns out that one or two cups of coffee can recharge the brain for a short while, but this effect will not last long, and you will feel exhausted again after a couple of hours.
When choosing drinks, first of all make sure you are drinking enough fluids, and especially decaffeinated drinks: it is dehydration that is often the culprit in the appearance feeling light fatigue. If you cannot imagine your life without coffee, then you should not give up your favorite drink. Just so that you don’t feel overwhelmed in the evening, you don’t need to swallow three mugs of a hot drink at once in the morning - it’s better to stretch the pleasure for the whole day, drinking coffee throughout the day, often and in small quantities. And an even more ingenious idea would be to drink green tea instead of coffee, which is also rich in caffeine, which is good for the body. And don't forget to cut back on sugary drinks like soda.
Avoid heavy meals in large quantities. Is your boss inviting you to a gala dinner? Well, enjoy your meals, you deserve it! But if there are a lot of other meetings, meetings and negotiations after the “meeting” with the boss, try to avoid food that causes drowsiness at lunch: fried foods, dishes served with gravy or sauces, foods rich in carbohydrates. The best choice- This is a small plate of something light, such as salad, stewed vegetables, chicken.
Try breathing exercise from yoga practice. It is called kapalabhati and consists in the fact that you take a normal breath and a sharp, accented exhalation. Repeat this about 10 times. This technique warms, invigorates and affects the pineal gland, which influences the so-called circadian rhythms (sleep-wake).
Chewing gum
Chew menthol gum. The main thing in it is not even a refreshing menthol, but chewing movements. So you trick the brain, which is activated, assuming that now it will be necessary to digest food. To do this, he secretes insulin, which causes a feeling of cheerfulness.
Cool
Open the windows, let in fresh air, turn on the air conditioner or fan. Warm and stuffy spaces cause a feeling of fatigue. Cold keeps the brain in tension and forces the body to activate to maintain a constant temperature necessary for the proper functioning of the organs. Thrill-seekers can try to chew on ice - few things in the world invigorate so much.
Physical training
Jump, squat, push up a couple of times from the floor. Any physical exercise with an interval of 20-30 minutes will help to disperse the blood and improve the flow of oxygen to the cells, and therefore, give additional energy to the body. The best option is a short walk. Research proves that 15 minutes of walking gives new energy for two hours of work.
washing
Rinse your wrists with cold water. This technique allows you to quickly cool the body. It is also useful in the summer when it is very hot, or when you need to get rid of a headache caused by a high temperature.
Hunger
Skip meals. The body spends a lot of energy on its digestion, so after a heavy dinner there is a feeling of lethargy and drowsiness. Light hunger invigorates.
Music
Listen to fast, annoying music at a low volume. Music evokes a strong emotional response that engages many areas of the brain. If possible, sing along or at least shake your head to the beat. Melodious and familiar music will not work. We need something rhythmic, but unpleasant to the ear - it causes more emotions. The sound should be such that it is difficult to make out the words of the song. This will make the brain work, as it will "listen" and include attention.
Lighting
Turn on bright lights. The best thing, of course, is to go outside, but if the sun has already set, then the internal clock can still be fooled by turning on all the lights in the house. The fact is that the body's circadian rhythms, among other things, react to light: when there is little light, the body thinks it's time to sleep.
Massage
Massage the crown, back of the neck, earlobes, the point between the big and index finger and the area below the knees. These points help relieve fatigue and improve blood circulation.
aromatherapy
Activate olfactory receptors. A strong smell - pleasant or disgusting - quickly puts you on alert. In aromatherapy, such oils are usually offered to stimulate the nervous system: rosemary, eucalyptus, mint. If there is no oil nearby, you can simply inhale the aroma of coffee beans several times.
Discomfort
Sit in a hard chair. Any slight sensation of discomfort is good when your task is to stay awake. If you work in a chair or in bed, you will be sleepy because they are comfortable and cozy.
coffee and sleep
Drink coffee and fall asleep for 15 minutes. These are two effective techniques merged into one. The action of caffeine usually begins 20 minutes after you have drunk coffee, tea, or eaten a chocolate bar. Until this time, you can have time to recharge your batteries in a dream thanks to microsleep (it is also called a power nap). The main thing is to set an alarm and stay awake for 30 minutes, because in half an hour you will be in the stage of deep sleep, and if you interrupt it, you will feel overwhelmed.
protein diet
If you still have, then protein-rich foods (nuts, eggs), as well as vegetables and fruits. It is important to eat in small portions and at intervals of every two to three hours. Avoid sugar, because it has the opposite effect, taking energy away. Drink plenty of water. When the body is dehydrated, a person feels tired and weak.
Tickling
Tickle the upper palate with your tongue. This is another funny one effective way cheer up sharply.
Trolling
Watch a funny video or argue with someone about politics. Any social activity (even participation in Internet discussions) causes excitement in the brain.
Sleep is a vital component for every person. Everyone around is talking about the importance of good sleep, its duration and quality. We all understand this, but sometimes there are moments in life when you need to stay awake.
It can be an urgent paper that needs to be handed in by the morning, preparing for an exam session, working night shifts, a long overnight cargo flight, and much more. Almost every person in his life asked the question: “what to do in order not to sleep?”
In principle, the most correct answer to this question is: if you want to sleep, sleep! But in reality it doesn't work that way. Therefore, below we present a few useful tips which will help delay sleep for a while.
How to sleep for 4 hours a day?
Surely, each of you has heard that normally a person’s sleep should last at least 8 hours. However, not all people can afford it. And if you need to get up in the middle of the night or go to bed very late and get up early for work? Why do we want to sleep, and how to get enough sleep for 4 hours a day?
Scientists have found that our sleep is divided into phases, the duration of each is one and a half hours. As soon as one phase is completed, the person wakes up for a moment, and then falls asleep again. The brain does not record information about our fleeting awakening, so we think we are sleeping without waking up all night.
It has been proven that if a person wakes up during the completion of one of the phases, then he will feel cheerful. It is believed that for a good sleep you need to “oversleep” at least 4 phases, that is, 6 hours a day. But even if you sleep for only 4 hours, but wake up at the end of the phase, you will feel quite normal.
For example, to wake up at 6 am, you need to go to bed at 11:50 pm (4 phases of 1.5 hours + 10 minutes).
Maybe this tip will help you feel more alert with a minimum amount of sleep per night.
- If you have to work all night and can't sleep, don't eat at night. Heavy food and a feeling of fullness leads to a feeling of drowsiness. Of course, if you have to do mental work all night long (working at a computer, cramming exams), then it will be difficult to concentrate on an empty stomach. A good option: dark chocolate bar for the whole night. You will provide the body with energy and do not burden the stomach.
- A contrast shower invigorates well. Do you feel like you are falling asleep? Go to the bath! Temperature fluctuations have a beneficial effect on the body: blood accelerates, and you charge the body with additional energy for several hours.
- Fresh air will help you stay awake. If you are at home, open the window or go out to the balcony / street. If you are a driver, open and ventilate the car, get out of the car for a few minutes.
- If you work at a computer, get up every hour and a half and warm up, do light exercises. Rub your earlobes with your index fingers and thumbs: in this place are the so-called "points of cheerfulness."
- Listen to rhythmic, loud enough music. This will help you not to fall asleep, but to finish the work you have started even at a late time.
- If you are driving and you really want to sleep, it is better to stop the car at the curb and take a nap. No important meeting or agreement, no work on time can compare with life and health. In this case, tips on what to do in order not to sleep, it is better not to use it, but just take a little nap by stopping the car.
- Wash your face or splash your face and neck with cold water. For a while, this will help to cheer up.
What to do to not sleep at work?
If you work night shifts or just didn't get enough sleep the night before, try these simple tips.
To not want to sleep at work, you need to work. Although this rule seems ridiculous, it almost always works. When you are busy and fully involved in work, you forget about sleep. And yes, time goes by faster.
Talk and joke with co-workers if possible. So you will think less about the fact that you want to sleep.
For those who work night shifts, the busiest time is between 3 and 6 in the morning. If you feel like falling asleep on the go, go out for a couple of minutes in the fresh air or walk around the shop.
What to drink to stay awake: drinks to stay awake
What drinks have an invigorating effect? What to drink if you really need not sleep? We will name a few of these drinks, but we immediately emphasize that they should not be abused and should be consumed in moderation.
- Coffee. The most famous drink that helps wake up is, of course, coffee. Only not instant, but natural, freshly ground coffee of high quality. But do not get carried away: drinking cup after cup is not worth it, it is harmful to the body.
- Black tea or mate. Tea also contains substances that help the body wake up and be alert for a while. Make a very strong drink and drink in small sips.
- If you don't know what to do to stay awake, try drinking herbal tinctures. Licorice, chamomile, ginseng will help to cheer up. You need to drink the tincture hot.
- If you need to cheer up for a short period of time, you can drink energy drink. Just keep in mind: its effect is very short-lived, and soon you will want to sleep again. Drinking tea and coffee after an energy drink can lead to heart problems.
- Don't drink alcoholic drinks. For some time you will not sleep, but then you risk falling asleep soundly and for a long time, without completing everything that you planned.
We hope these recommendations will help you stay awake for a certain amount of time. But always weigh the pros and cons: if you can lie down and get some sleep, be sure to do it! Your body will thank you with a good mood and well-being.
Modern insomnia, with its overtime work and late-night TV shows, is definitely harmful. But sometimes there is too much work and all of it is urgent. How to survive a whole night of work? It is worth warning right away how to stay up all night and be alert all day, no one knows, and there is no such way. But how not to sleep, when exams or the delivery of a project are coming up very soon, there are many ways invented.
What Not to Do
- Eat at night. Especially heavy food. It’s not particularly useful at all, but before a sleepless work night it’s deadly. Therefore, we are preparing for work without any chips, fried, fast carbohydrates, sour cream and other fatty foods;
- Work lying on the couch.
Well, how can you not fall asleep when you have soft pillows, a mattress and blankets under your nose? Your instincts will definitely get the better of you here. Therefore, when preparing for a night of work, choose a table and a chair. There should definitely not be comfort, but there is no need to become numb;
- Listen to your favorite and familiar music. Like a dream will overcome you. The exception is your favorite songs that you associate with the most extreme and difficult periods of your life;
- Switch off the light. You know, it's much better to sleep in the dark. Therefore, if the light annoys you, let it continue to burn for itself. If you have a table lamp, let it shine in your face;
- Use whatever distracts you. It can be a photo of children or a mistress, a house plant, a favorite beer. You will most likely sit up half the night meditating on them and then fall asleep. It is better to put in front of you a thing reminiscent of work: let it be a record book, an agreement on the delivery of a task, a watch, finally;
- Play computer games. Again, they tire more than work. Therefore, no solitaire games with chess;
- Stuffiness. If it’s hot and there’s nothing to breathe, don’t be afraid to take a walk or go out onto the balcony. It’s good if you can open not only windows in the room, but also balconies;
- Alcohol. Maybe it gives inspiration sometimes, but most often after it it pulls you to sleep.
Simple Methods
Most of them help to develop an additional amount of adrenaline, and it will definitely not let you sleep. The advantage is that simple methods will not harm the heart and brain, besides, they can bring some benefits to the body, and they can also give cheerfulness during the day.
- Seeds. Nothing funny, because they have a lot of healthy fats. But it is better to eat them a little bit;
- Breathing exercises. We inhale normally, exhale accentuated and sharply. Such breathing is called kapalabhati and it is very invigorating;
- Wash your hands. Especially the wrists and the coldest water.
- Chocolate, candied peanuts, marshmallows, caramel. And nothing that these are fast carbohydrates, because sweets are also endorphins. Sweet peanuts are especially good: eat one nut every few minutes and the night will not seem so long and tiring. Chewing gum with menthol is no less good, because it provokes the production of insulin, and it perfectly raises the tone. If you really want to eat, eat something protein;
- Give yourself a massage. Pay attention to the top of the head, earlobes and back tones up the massage of the points between the index and thumbs and the area under the knees. You can also tickle your palate with your tongue;
- Aroma oils. Your friends for this night are rosemary, orange, eucalyptus, grapefruit, mint, pine aromas. They can be in bed linen, and in an aroma lamp, and in a pendant, and even in water for washing floors ... And what if you are so sleepy, you can wash the floor ... No oils - sniff coffee.
- Water. It would be nice to drink more. And it's good if it's warm. If it burns the larynx and stomach - ideal. So let's not forget coffee. And if you combine it with diuretics, you definitely won’t be able to fall asleep. Masochism, but when there is a lot of work or an exam is very soon. A good option is to drink coffee and doze off for a quarter of an hour. But no more.
- Herbal infusions. See what herb helps you. Maybe it's ginseng, and chamomile, and licorice. The main thing is that the infusion should be warm!
- Spices. Their aroma alone invigorates. And if horseradish or ginger, but grate ... Suitable for you and hot peppers, and mustard, and thermonuclear adjika.
- We don't eat anything. Hunger is quite capable of helping you to get through the night and prepare for your exam or test.
What else can be done?
Next come the moderate methods.Walk on the balcony. If possible - on the roof: height, cold, extreme and fresh air will lift even the heaviest eyelids.
Dispute online, trolling. This kind of entertainment is dearly loved by all. Hone your art of trolling and arguing, and also know that it drives adrenaline, and also increases pressure. If you control yourself and don't let your emotions get the better of you, this kind of argument will get you through the night. But remember that this is not your goal, but the fulfillment of the task for which you gave up your much-needed sleep. If there is no Internet, TV, print media, and radio will do. Just find an exciting topic and argue with an imaginary opponent. No, it's not schizophrenia.
Sport. No, it does not make sense to go to a sports field or a fitness club in the middle of the night. We just turn on the broadcast of the match. The main thing is to listen, not to look. If you have turned on the online broadcast, minimize the window and listen again. The radio will work too. You can listen not only to football, but also to horse races or races. You can even place a small bet. You won't fall asleep until it's over. However, physical education will also be appropriate. Push-ups, horizontal bar, abs: anything that invigorates you is fine. This is great for relieving mental fatigue.
Chemical stimulants
Yes, they kill the heart, but once you can. A good option is a jaguar. But the burn is no good.But the canonical combination of cola with coffee and succinic acid will be tastier and not so deadly harmful. A combination of cream soda and hawthorn, mineral water with honey and lemon is suitable, it is better to drink coffee with lemon water and sweet.
Play with the alarm clock
We start it for one hour, work and wait for it to ring. We start again. So all night.
Fear
This is a very deplorable method for the psyche. You can watch horror movies, short films, read horror stories, to think that someone is following you, and also to disturb your phobias with the help of appropriate photos. That's just over time, the psyche gets used to it.
If you are used to it, move on to the most hardcore methods.
Heavy artillery
- Stimulants. These include any means, among the side effects of which are insomnia, anxiety and increased pressure. Eleutheracoccus, Phenotropil, Doppelhertz... Again, only you are responsible for your heart. If you are hypertensive, do not even touch them.
- Pain. Try pricking yourself with a medical needle. Better prick your finger. You definitely won't want to sleep anymore. But just let there be cotton wool nearby, and the needle be sterile. If you are a fan of extreme sports, you can cut yourself with a knife and even burn your skin or hit yourself with nettles. Sometimes even the thought of such actions can wake you up.
- Shame. Remember the biggest shame in your life. In all the details, feeling about the same as at that moment, scroll through it all in your head ... And you don’t need anything more. It's just that it's not easy to do so.
- Call an unknown number at 3am? The last time you dabbled on the phone was in seventh grade? Do you know how much adrenaline it is! Of course, you hear no less threats, and besides, they can find you! Another turn of events is also possible, because a pretty object of the opposite sex, who is also puzzled by how not to fall asleep, if you really want to, can answer you...
- Put a bag on your head. But only for a very short time and do not suffocate! It's also a dangerous method.
- Don't go to the toilet. Even if you already want it unbearably. Be patient and you won't fall asleep. Especially effective if you have already drunk a lot of coffee, stimulants or herbal infusions…
- Listen to harsh and loud music. And better with headphones.