Every person encounters situations that require them to stay up all night. When you are preparing for exams, in a hurry to learn the material, you fly to the other side of the world, waiting for a decision that is vitally important for you, before going to sleep. It's good when a sleepless night is planned. You can prepare for it in advance. More often the situation arises suddenly. It’s difficult to get through it, but it’s possible while remaining cheerful.
Our body's biological clock gives the command to plunge into the power of sleep. Therefore, it is difficult to be alert when you want to fall asleep. You need to deceive the body at those hours of the night when irresistible drowsiness occurs, and this is possible using different actions.
Load up on fast carbohydrates
On a sleepless night, this is precisely the property of fast carbohydrates for which adherents of a healthy diet criticize them: they quickly break down into simple sugars and give a strong, albeit short-term burst of energy. So ignore the advice of grandmothers “don’t eat sweets at night, otherwise you won’t sleep” and stock up on sweets.
Watch your level of fatigue, as energy will leave your body just as quickly: as soon as you feel tired, it’s time to take another bite of the chocolate.
What will help you stay awake
When you need to stay up all night but feel alert, you can try to trick the body by creating conditions for it to increase performance.
Charger
Any physical exercise helps increase vigor. It may not necessarily be high physical activity. Ordinary bends, push-ups and squats help accelerate the blood, warm you up, improve the flow of oxygen to cells, and affect circadian rhythms. Yoga breathing exercises stimulate the body well.
Head massage
Self-massage the top of your head, earlobes, and back of your neck. This will also improve blood circulation and relieve tension. The massage should be pleasant, but not weak, so that you feel a rush of blood to the head.
Cool shower
Take a cool shower. The essence of a cold shower is that with its help the body is subjected to a small, controlled physical stress, so it will help you to cheer up and sleep.
Source howtolearn.com
An evening walk
A pleasant evening walk with a little physical activity will saturate the body with oxygen, speed up the blood, and give a boost of energy. Only the walk should be calm, without overexertion.
Communication
Discussions, for example, about politics and sports, invigorate. Even online discussions cause stimulation in the brain center and lead to its activation.
What else will be useful?
Additional lifehacks to increase vigor and performance:
- Massage of the “From a Hundred Diseases” point, Tzu-san-li, located under the knee.
- Consumption of seeds.
- Sitting on a hard chair.
- The sound of rhythmic music.
- Warm coffee, strong tea, tonic drinks.
- Drink mineral water with lemon.
Alternative ways to combat sleep
In order to cheer up, they offer other ways. However, they are not suitable for everyone, and not every person can cope with them. Let's look at the most popular offers.
Pranayama
A Chinese technique for managing vital energy, based on breathing exercises, used in yoga. Invigorating pranayama helps relieve stress and activate the brain.
Source yoga-in-greece.ru
Kapalabhati is used for wakefulness. It consists of a deep breath and a sharp, concentrated exhalation. There are numerous videos on the Internet on how to do it, but be careful, for an unprepared person this may not be easy, there are even contraindications for use.
Breathing exercises are more suitable for systematic exercise and their one-time use may not have the desired effect.
Tickling
It is recommended to tickle the upper palate with your tongue. This is purely individual, for some the method will help them wake up, for others it will cause irritation and unpleasant sensations.
Trolling
If you get really bored at night, they suggest doing trolling, i.e. inviting users of social networks on the Internet to argue. Express an opinion opposite to everyone else, discuss, defend your point of view.
They say that it invigorates and gives strength. However, not everyone can use it. Not everyone, due to their nature, is ready to participate in discussions on the Internet. An alternative option would be to watch a funny video.
Buy chewing gum
Keeping chewing gum out of your mouth all day is harmful, but in special cases when you need to spend several hours in a row without sleep, all means are good. The chewing movements themselves are important - they “deceive” the brain, forcing it to maintain activity to digest food. The pancreas also continues to work, increasing the production of insulin, which, in turn, causes a feeling of vigor. And in order to freshen up and not spoil your teeth, it is better to choose chewing gum with a minimum sugar content and menthol flavor.
What foods and drinks will help you stay awake?
Foods and drinks can help improve performance and wakefulness. We have compiled tables indicating effectiveness and calorie content.
Toning products
Product | Action | Efficiency according to a 5-point system |
bitter chocolate | You can last all night on one chocolate bar | 5 |
Mint | Tones the brain, contains many vitamins and essential oils, and above all, it is an excellent remedy for vitamin deficiency. | 5 |
Citrus fruits, including zest | They contain a lot of vitamin C, so they have an invigorating and tonic effect. | 5 |
Bananas | Increases the body's endurance | 5 |
Raspberries, blueberries, blueberries | Gives vigor | 4 |
Meat | Thanks to the proteins contained in meat, after eating it you will have enough energy for the whole night | 4 |
Nuts | Stimulates brain function and has an invigorating effect | 4 |
Fish, eggs | Energizing | 3 |
Apples | When eating an apple, a person is distracted from thoughts about sleep | 3 |
Oatmeal | To give strength and energy | 3 |
Due to their high calorie content, consumption of meat and nuts at night should be treated with caution.
Tonic drinks
The most common drink to maintain tone is coffee. Tea, cocoa, and energy drinks are also used for stimulation.
Coffee
Coffee contains caffeine, which blocks the action of adenositol, a substance that calms the nervous system. As a result, the production of adrenaline is activated, stimulating the functioning of the entire body. So if you need to stay awake in the evening, a good cup of coffee will do the trick.
An additional advantage of coffee is its low calorie content - 2 calories per cup.
Coffee can be instant or ground. It is believed that ground coffee is more beneficial for the body than instant coffee, since it is absolutely natural and does not contain chemical additives. At the same time, high-quality instant coffee contains less caffeine per cup (60-80 mg) than ground coffee (80-150 mg).
The strength of coffee depends on its type. In the table we have collected the strongest types of coffee drinks together by calculating the amount of caffeine per serving.
Brewing type | Portion per dose, ml | Amount of caffeine in a standard dose |
Espesso | 60 | 252 |
Mocha | 100 | 219 |
Cold brew | 90 | 201 |
French press | 300 | 223 |
Purover | 250 | 173 |
The maximum recommended dose of caffeine per day is 300–400 mg, i.e. you can drink no more than 2 cups of Esperso or Mocha without harm to your health. True, each organism has its own characteristics, for one and 5 cups of Espresso per night is normal, but someone may feel unwell even after 1 cup.
Source behance.net
Other types of tonic drinks
There are other tonic drinks that can replace coffee. Some of them are recommended only for single use, others, on the contrary, are considered useful, but no less effective.
Types of drinks:
- Green tea. Perfectly tones and stimulates the nervous system.
- Iced black tea with lemon and thyme. Invigorates, lifts spirits, strengthens the body's defenses.
- Tea with ginseng. It will quickly invigorate and relieve headaches.
- Cocoa. Contains tryptophan, an amino acid that is involved in the synthesis of serotonin, the hormone of joy and pleasure. Cocoa also contains small amounts of caffeine.
- Non-alcoholic energy drinks. These are caffeine-based drinks that have a strong tonic effect on the body. They increase efficiency, invigorate and lift your spirits. However, the maximum dose is 1 can per week.
Invigorating aromas
Toning aromas can invigorate, give energy, additional vitality and tone the body. We have collected the most effective ones that will help you survive a sleepless night while maintaining your performance.
Basil | Well tones and refreshes the head |
Sage | Energizes |
Bergamot | Sharpens attention, improves memory |
Gardenia | Will give you strength when you're running low |
Cedar | Giving strength and energy |
Rosemary | Improves mood |
Myrrh | Restores energy |
Musk | Relieves fatigue |
You can mix flavors, but don't overdo it, otherwise you'll get a headache and fatigue.
Ginseng tincture
An immune system stimulant and a powerful adaptogen is ginseng, a Far Eastern and Asian plant, the root of which is used to prepare pharmaceutical alcohol tinctures. Immediately after consuming ginseng tincture, the following processes occur in the body:
- blood vessels become toned;
- the production of cortisol is weakened;
- heart rate increases;
- metabolism is regulated.
The breakdown of fats and carbohydrates in the body is activated, due to which a reserve source of energy appears. Ginseng tincture must be dosed according to the instructions on the package. This method is prohibited for people with the following diseases and pathologies:
- hypersensitivity;
- oncological diseases;
- hypertension.
For the rest, ginseng tincture will only benefit. However, you cannot overdose. You must use the product strictly according to the instructions, otherwise the effect may be the opposite.
How to prepare for a sleepless night
The preparation includes:
- Daytime sleep. If possible, rest for a couple of hours during the day.
- Stock up on snacks. Give preference to nuts, vegetables and fruits.
- Buy aromatic oils. If you try this way to cheer up.
- Select a music playlist. Collect as much catchy music as possible in a separate folder on your computer or phone.
- Replace the general lighting lamps. In poor lighting, if possible, install more powerful lamps that simulate daylight.
Add some coolness
The higher the temperature in the room at night, the greater the chance of napping to win.
To drive away sleep, you need to turn off the heaters, ventilate the room and change into something light and natural that will not be stuffy and hot.
In the summer, fans and air conditioners will come to the rescue, and in winter you can leave the window open at night. The main thing is that the room is cool - cold puts the brain on alert, forcing it to work hard to maintain normal body temperature and the functioning of internal organs.
Tea with leaves of Schisandra chinensis
Schisandra chinensis is a rare but very beneficial plant for the body with the ability to tone. It contains active components that affect the rate of biochemical reactions in the body.
Due to its stimulating effect, Schisandra chinensis makes the nervous system work to the limit.
Effects of drinking tea with Schisandra chinensis leaves:
- cheerfulness, a surge of vital energy for 8-10 hours;
- increased concentration;
- improvement of general well-being;
- increased blood circulation.
It should be taken into account that Chinese Schisandra has a diuretic effect, so you need to take more fluid with it to prevent an imbalance of electrolytes in the body and avoid dehydration.
Echinacea tea
Echinacea purpurea is an invigorating, aromatic plant that has been used since ancient times instead of coffee as a powerful natural energy tonic. If a fresh plant grows in a flower garden, it is enough to brew 2-3 inflorescences in a cup. If not, then you can use dry herbal raw materials purchased at the pharmacy.
You can replace it with alcohol tincture of echinacea - add 1 teaspoon to tea or dilute with water and drink in small sips. It is advisable to drink echinacea before meals, as food interferes with the absorption of active substances.
What other methods can be used
The following methods are suitable for almost everyone:
- Drink a cup of coffee, lie down, relax and fall asleep for 15-20 minutes. During this period of short sleep, you will be able to get a boost of energy from the body, then the effects of caffeine will begin. The main thing is not to sleep longer than 20 minutes, otherwise the deep sleep phase will begin. It is not recommended to interrupt the deep sleep phase, as this guarantees weakness and headache.
- Skip dinner. True, there is a risk that your brain, instead of working, will start sending signals about the need to visit the kitchen. Therefore, you can replace a hearty dinner with a light, vegetable one.
- Try to get a good night's sleep the night before. The second sleepless night is much harder to endure. Therefore, before a strategically important night, get as much sleep as possible.
- Take a 10-minute break every 50 minutes. At this time, walk around the room and wave your arms. If you work on a PC, periodically take your eyes off the monitor and focus on a distant point.
Breathing exercises
Among the Eastern practices that affect the body, there are those that truly change the functioning of individual organs and act no worse than pharmaceutical stimulants. One of these breathing practices will help disperse drowsiness and experience filling with vital energy for a long period of time.
Technique:
- Stand up straight, straighten your shoulders as much as possible;
- Take three sharp breaths and three equally sharp exhalations;
- Inhale slowly through your nose, hold your breath;
- Release the air slowly too;
- A minute of rest and relaxation;
- Repeat.
It is necessary to repeat up to 10 times, but if during the process you experience dizziness or a feeling of pulsation in the head, you must immediately stop doing the exercise. Breathing exercises affect blood pressure and are contraindicated for both hypertensive patients and people with hypotension.
An invigorating walk or exercise
As soon as you want to sleep at night, you need to get dressed and spend half an hour in the fresh air. It is difficult to go outside; there is an option to breathe by standing on the balcony or loggia. You just need to open the window. At the same time, you should not smoke, it is harmful. And it will be impossible to continue working. A cigarette will invigorate you for a while, but then you will fall asleep, which is difficult to fight.
It’s better to force yourself to look away from the computer every 2 hours. Perform walking around the room and exercises to strengthen the back muscles. Gymnastics for the eyes is a must. Rapid blinking will improve blood circulation in the organ of vision. To strengthen muscle tissue, look from one object to another, rotate the eyeballs left and right.
Useful tips
To spend a sleepless night without stress, follow our tips.
Getting rid of evening rituals
In the evening, do not follow the usual bedtime ritual (put on pajamas, drink tea, listen to the news). It is better to avoid rituals altogether, because the brain may misunderstand you and in the future, without performing a certain ritual, you will not be able to fall asleep at all.
Avoid overeating
After overeating, you immediately feel sleepy, so your stomach should be half-starved.
Choosing the right clothes
Clothes should be comfortable for work, but not for sleeping. There is no need for extremes here. Don't wear your favorite pajamas or unworn jeans. In the first case, the brain will give a signal to hang up, the second option will not allow you to work productively.
Participation in intellectual disputes
If you have time at night to debate on topics of interest, this will also be a great way to invigorate. True, too active disputes can prevent you not only from falling asleep, but also from concentrating on further work.
Complete rest before a sleepless night
Make sure you get plenty of rest before a sleepless night.
Eating spicy foods
Spicy dishes promote increased blood circulation and, as a result, additional energy. Just take care of your stomach.
Drinking tonic drinks
Natural tonic drinks will have an effect if taken into the system. As a rule, they have a cumulative effect. To quickly cheer up, tea, coffee, and non-alcoholic energy drinks are best.
Washing with cold water
Cold water helps to quickly bring it into an active state, but not for long. You will get the best effect if you take a contrast shower.
Drinking large amounts of liquid
Drinking water to stay awake is also an option. Firstly, your blood will not thicken and you will not experience extreme fatigue. Secondly, frequent urges to go to the toilet will prevent you from falling asleep.
Chewing gum
Chewing gum activates the brain, this has been proven by scientists. Therefore, in order to work productively, you need to stock up on your favorite chewing gum for the whole night.
Solving complex intellectual problems
This method is suitable if you have time for it. A difficult task forces the brain to look for a solution, to come up with ways to get a result, so there will definitely be no time to sleep.
Squats
Always a working option to activate performance. You just need to squat not to the point of exhaustion, but until pleasant fatigue appears.
Switching attention
From time to time it is useful to be distracted, for example, you can read jokes, walk around the room, open the window in the room and go out for a few minutes.
other methods
Additionally, you can do concentration exercises, meditate, listen to music, dance, i.e. do whatever you like and allows you to switch.
Eleutherococcus infusion
Eleutherococcus senticosus is very similar in properties to ginseng. If you have plant materials at home, you can prepare an infusion of water yourself:
- 1 tablespoon of dry raw materials;
- 250 ml of boiling water.
Pour in and leave for 30-40 minutes. Drink warm, preferably with added sugar or honey. Glucose is needed as energy for the functioning of the nervous system. An alcohol tincture of this plant is sold in every pharmacy and has a low cost (about 7-8 times lower than ginseng tincture). It should be dosed according to the instructions. The list of indications is the same as for ginseng.
Water treatments
Try washing your face with cold water and rinsing your palms and wrists. This will help to sharply activate your consciousness. Even if it was difficult to find optimal solutions, compare data and analyze information (perception was slow), the reaction to washing was almost instantaneous.
The speed of thought processes becomes lightning fast. However, such mobilization of brain activity is one-time in nature. For the same bright next burst of vigor, you need some time to pass before the next wash.
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Clean up your workspace
Take a look at what's in your workspace. Clutter causes depression, so switch to a little tidying up. The sight of a clean and tidy table will certainly lift your spirits and give you a boost of energy.
Avoid working at the computer on your bed. Sit at the table, and the chair should not be soft or overly comfortable. The only thing you need to constantly monitor is posture. Keep your back straight.
Remember that constant lack of sleep has a negative impact on your health. By refusing proper rest, you:
- Impairment of cognitive functions (attention, memory, concentration).
- You weaken your immune system.
- Reducing work productivity.
- Become prone to bad habits (nicotine, caffeine addiction).
- You acquire an unhealthy appearance (bags under the eyes, puffiness, premature aging of the skin).
Our online store has a large selection of high-quality climate control equipment from well-known brands. Here you can choose and buy:
- recuperator;
- fan;
- air conditioner;
- air purifier;
- boiler (gas or electric);
- fireplace.
Use the help of specialists to select equipment - our managers will recommend products that will help solve your problems.
Bright lighting
In the human body, different groups of hubbub are responsible for everything. In order not to suffer from fatigue and not to drink coffee, you should suppress the production of the hormone melatonin, which is responsible for falling asleep. This can be done in two ways - by avoiding darkness, which stimulates its production, and by using stress.
It’s quite easy to come up with an artificial stressful situation - this will help slow down the production of sleep hormones. If you organize the brightest possible lighting, your chances of feeling cheerful for a long time will increase significantly.
Spending the day after being up all night
If all the methods helped you remain able to work during the night, then it will be difficult to be the same all day long. Sometimes after a sleepless night you have to run to school or work. We will have to do everything possible to make the day active. Recuperation is carried out in different ways. It’s better to wait until the evening to gain strength, trying to stay active.
During the break you need to get some sleep
How to cheer up without coffee
Food will help keep you in good shape during the day, and you should have a snack of fruits or vegetables every 2 hours. It is better to avoid coffee and energy drinks. We drank the norm at night. Excessive caffeine consumption will cause the body to be tense the next night. We drink more water and citrus juice.
Exercising
If you really want to fall asleep at work, then we continue gymnastic exercises during the daytime. They shouldn't be heavy. Otherwise, the body will fail due to stress. Walking around the office, walking around the building with breathing exercises will invigorate you, the consequences of a sleepless night will be light.
Give up alcohol and pills
It's hard not to sleep for a long time. During the day I really want to take a nap. Take a 20-30 minute nap during your lunch break. It is harmful to rest more; it is fraught with lethargy and the inability to concentrate on the tasks at hand. You cannot cheer yourself up with alcoholic drinks. The remedy will not invigorate, but will lead to nervous tension and stress.
Tablets that improve body tone are used as prescribed by a doctor. They can cause harm, the person will become aggressive, and will have difficulty responding adequately to the real situation.
Causes of constant fatigue
Physical fatigue, lack of sleep at night, stress, anxiety, worry, and prolonged illness deplete the nervous system, causing a feeling of constant fatigue. In such cases, even a weekend does not help you gain strength and cheer up properly. Here you need to take a comprehensive approach to solving the problem, influencing the body with active and passive rest. However, there are conditions in which you will not be able to get a boost of energy without visiting a doctor:
- anemia and vitamin deficiency due to poor nutrition or internal diseases;
- obesity, overeating, metabolic disorders;
- hypothyroidism - hypofunction of the thyroid gland;
- liver diseases that cause gradual intoxication of the body;
- vegetative-vascular dystonia;
- gluten syndrome, characterized by the inability of the intestines to absorb gluten;
- hidden pathological processes of an infectious and inflammatory nature;
- oncology at any stage of development.
Taking certain medications may also cause drowsiness. These include antihistamines, antihypertensives, anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants, prokinetics, and antidepressants. As soon as the course of taking the pills is completed, the person again feels energetic and full of strength.
Preparing the premises
If you are preparing to work all night, prepare the room in advance.
Add the atmosphere to your workplace to suit your taste. This could be special lighting, favorite upbeat music.
Room temperature
The room should not be hot. The optimal temperature is + 22–24 °C in the cold season and + 23–25 °C in the warm season. Maybe even 1-2 degrees lower.
Lighting
Good workplace lighting plays a big role in helping you work productively at night. You need your brain to work actively, let it understand that it is daytime, the most efficient hours, then you will be surprised at your capabilities.
Fresh air
Fresh air is no less important; in a stuffy room, a person experiences oxygen starvation, which causes drowsiness and fatigue. It is better to have regular ventilation; you can do this during breaks between work and rest. If you often have to work at night, purchase a humidifier. The influx of fresh air will add strength and activate brain activity.