First of all, I’d like to add a disclaimer that you shouldn’t be pulling all-nighters too often. Everyone always tells you how important sleep is, but I swear to you they’re absolutely right. I got under 4 hours of sleep just about every day, and going to school was absolute hell. I couldn’t focus on anything, I was always in a bad mood, and worst of all, I had terrible dark circles. Somebody once came up to me and asked me if I was okay because I looked “extra tired today.” Despite all the downsides of not sleeping, I completely understand that occasionally you feel like you don’t have any other choice. Maybe you have a big test or a presentation you didn’t prepare for. Regardless, I’ve been there, and I’m here to help you successfully pull an all-nighter.
Get Sleep Ahead of Time
Realistically, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to stay up all night if you got no sleep the previous night. Make sure to get lots of rest, hopefully, 8-9 hours of sleep. If it’s too late and you weren’t able to get enough sleep to sustain you for the upcoming night, have a nap. Power naps that are 20-30 minutes are meant to give you a nice boost of energy, but if your goal is an all-nighter, take naps when you can. Throw them into your schedule whenever possible and make them as long as you want. It might be 15-minutes, or maybe it's 2 hours; anything will help keep you awake. Although if you have time for a 2-hour nap, I would probably use that time doing what it is that’s keeping you awake all night.
Coffee
Kind of obvious, I know. In all seriousness, caffeine does help keep me awake, it’s what it’s known for. Although it is important to remember that you shouldn’t drink too much coffee. It may seem logical that the more caffeine you consume, the more awake you’ll feel. However, after your second cup, it will become difficult to focus. It makes you jittery, and then you’ve basically stayed awake for nothing. I think it’s also important to mention that if you consume caffeine very often, you likely would have built up some kind of tolerance. It might not be as useful for you to drink it, but luckily there are other beverages that you can have.
Water
Do not underestimate the power of water. Caffeine may be good at first, but water will always come out on top. As soon as the coffee starts doing more harm than good, it’s time to aggressively drink water. It doesn’t matter how much you drink, you’ll probably only feel better or at the very least, the same. Technically it’s possible to die from drinking too much water, however, you’d have to drink about 5 litres within a few hours. Overall, water will help your body work better and keep you focused.
Lights
Ever have your parents throw open your blinds in the morning? Wakes you up, doesn’t it? Darkness increases a hormone that makes us sleepy and blah blah blah some more science. The point is light is a great way to keep you awake, even the lights from your computer or phone screens.
Make the Temperature Just Right
When the temperature of your room is either too cold or hot, this can lead you to become tired. You should find a temperature that's moderate to make sure you stay alert. Around 21°C (70°F) would be a comfortable temperature to set your thermostat.
Activity
Don’t just lay in bed all night or sit at your desk, that’s the perfect way to make sure you fall asleep. Every once in a while, get up and just walk. Walk around your room, stretch, and if you really need to give yourself a jolt of energy, do a few jumping jacks. You’ll probably feel a little bit stupid jumping around at 6 am, but at least nobody will see you. Raise your heart rate a little, but a full workout might not be best. It may keep you awake at the moment, but the cooldown afterward is the perfect time for your body to sleep.
After pulling this all-nighter, you shouldn't overwork yourself during the day. Not too much caffeine, and if you’re legally able to drive or drink, do neither. Light activity never hurts, but this might not be the right day to start a rigorous new workout. Make sure you have an extra good sleep the next night. Maybe next time, do what you need to do earlier, so you don’t need to pull any more all-nighters.
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