Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 5: Stimulating your senses
• Part 2 of 5: Keeping your body alert
• Part 3 of 5: Eating to stay awake
• Part 4 of 5: Keep your head awake
• Part 5 of 5: Making changes in your way of life
• Tips
• Warnings

If you are getting sleepy, it is usually a sign that it is time to go to bed and go under sail. Sometimes you have to stay awake, for example because you have a night shift, have an early morning class or are at a sleepover. Your first reaction may be to reach for the caffeine, but that doesn't always work for everyone. Luckily, there are many other ways to stay awake when you're tired, and this wikiHow article tells you how!

To step

Part 1 of 5: Stimulating your senses

1. Stimulate your senses. The easiest way to stay awake is to stimulate your senses. There are many things you can do to keep your ears, your eyes, and even your nose alert and active. The more parts of your body that are alert, the less likely you are to be overpowered by sleep. You can try the following tricks:
   • Turn on as many lights as possible. If you cannot control the light yourself, make sure you are as close to a light source as possible.
   • Suck on a mint or chew gum to keep your mouth alert.
   • Sniff peppermint oil to wake up your sense of smell.
   • If you are in a place where you can listen to music, listen to jazz, hip-hop, rock, or any other type of music that will keep you alert.
   • If your eyes hurt, take a break and look at a wall or even out the window.
   • Wet your face thoroughly with cold or warm water.
   • Meditate for 15 minutes while sitting upright.

Part 2 of 5: Keeping your body alert

1. Keep your body alert. In addition to stimulating your senses, you can also fool your body and make it more alert than you actually feel. Taking the time to walk around, touch your earlobes, or rub your hands together can make you feel more awake and active. Here are a few things you can do to make your body more alert:
   • Splash cold water over your face. Try to keep your eyes open while pouring a generous splash of cold water over your face. Just be careful not to hurt your eyes.
   • Gently pull down your earlobes.
   • Squeeze yourself in your forearm or just below your knees.
   • Clench your hands into fists and then open them again. Repeat this ten times.
   • Tap the floor gently with your feet.
   • Stretch your wrists, arms and legs.
   • Roll your shoulders.
   • Go outside for a moment and fill your lungs with nice, fresh air.
   • Massage your hands.
2. Keep your body active. Staying active doesn't mean you have to run a marathon. Just a little bit of physical activity can wake up your body. Here are ways to get your body moving, even when you're at school or work, and even just a few minutes of exercise can have a huge impact on how awake your body is. Exercise is a way of telling your body that it is not time to go to bed yet. A few things you can do are:
   • As soon as you get the chance, try to walk for a while. If you are at work, take the long way to the coffee room, or go outside for coffee. When you are at school, take the longest route to the next classroom, or take a walk around the cafeteria before sitting down to eat.
   • If possible, always take the stairs instead of the elevator. Unless you have to get to the fiftieth floor, taking the stairs will give you more energy than just standing in the elevator a bit. You get your heart rate going and it keeps you alert.
   • If possible, take ten minutes to go for a walk.
   • You may not be able to exercise on the spot where you are, but try to get into the habit of exercising regularly, at least half an hour a day. Exercising daily has been shown to increase energy and make you more alert.

Part 3 of 5: Eating to stay awake

1. Start your day with a healthy breakfast. For example, eat eggs, turkey fillet and some bread or crackers. Or take yogurt with muesli or oatmeal. Also add vegetables to your breakfast, such as spinach, celery or green cabbage. If you don't feel like eating that much in the morning, make a smoothie, or buy a smoothie somewhere on the way to work or school.
2. Eat healthy. If you choose the right foods you will have more energy, be more alert and have some extra fuel to keep you going for a few more hours. Eating the wrong food can make you feel faint and bloated, and even more tired than if you had almost nothing to eat. Here are some tips that can help you eat a healthy diet so that you get more energy and feel less tired:
   • Avoid foods that are high in sugar and simple carbohydrates.
   • Do not eat overly elaborate meals. Instead, eat a few smaller meals a day and eat a few snacks spread throughout the day if you are hungry. Avoid heavy meals, foods high in starch or fat, and alcohol. Such products only make you feel more tired and they also attack your digestion.
   • Don't skip meals. Even if you're so tired that you don't feel like eating at all, you better do it, because not eating will only get you more sleep.
3. Always have something to eat with you that contains protein, such as almonds or cashews. Always bring fruit with you when you go somewhere. Not only is it healthy, but it also prevents you from reaching for a high-sugar snack instead.
   • Eat carrots or celery with peanut butter or yogurt in between.
4. Have something with caffeine if you need it. Caffeine will certainly keep you awake, but if you drink too much of it or drink it too quickly, you will get a headache and collapse. If you feel the need, have a cup of green tea or coffee and drink the fluid slowly, otherwise you will collapse and / or get a stomach ache.
   • Caffeine is also found in bitter chocolate.
   • Avoid energy drinks. Energy drinks do wake you up quickly, but eventually you get tired of them. In addition, they interfere with your ability to sleep, making you more tired the night after.
5. Drink cold water. And drink a lot. Getting enough fluids will help you stay awake.

Part 4 of 5: Keep your head awake

1. Keep your thoughts alert. Keeping your body awake and alert won't help you much if your mind wanders all the time. Whether you are having a conversation or listening to a talking teacher, you need to be actively thinking to keep your mind awake. You can do this to keep your head alert:
   • If you are in school, do your extra best to pay attention. Write down everything your teacher says and then reread it so that your mind doesn't wander. Raise your finger and answer questions. If you don't understand something, ask a question. The chance that you will fall asleep while you are busy talking to your teacher is not that great.
   • When you are at work, talk to a colleague about an assignment related to your work, or start a conversation about history or politics, or your children if necessary, during recess.
   • If you have trouble staying awake while at home, call a friend, email someone, or listen to an interesting talk show on the radio.
   • Alternate what you do. To keep your thoughts active, try to do something else as often as possible. For example, when you're at school, you can start writing with a different pen, use a highlighter, or get up and have a drink of water. When you're at work, stop typing for a moment and start copying or putting away documents.
2. Take a power nap. If you are at home or at work, take 5-20 minutes to take a short nap to give your system the boost it needs to keep going. If you sleep longer, you will suffer more from fatigue for the rest of the day and it will also be more difficult to fall asleep in the evening. This is how a power nap works:
   • Find a comfortable place. When you are at home, the sofa is ideal; when you are at work, lean back in your chair.
   • Make sure you have as little distraction as possible. Turn off your phone, close your office door, and do whatever it takes to let others in your area know you're taking a nap.
   • As soon as you wake up, take a deep breath and drink a glass of water and something with caffeine to help you feel energized again. Walk around for three minutes to get your body going.
   • If you're having trouble taking a power nap, try a special power nap app on your smartphone to help you fall asleep.
3. Look at flashy colors. Download an app on your smartphone that displays clear, bright colors. This can cause the receivers in your brain that keep you alert and awake to become active. This is also the reason why using iPads and tablets and the like right before going to bed can prevent you from falling asleep properly.

Part 5 of 5: Making changes in your way of life

1. Prevent the problem in the future. While these tricks can help you in an emergency, you'll be better off developing a way of life that helps avoid forcing yourself to stay awake because you're so terribly tired. Here are tips to help you with that:
   • Try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day to create a healthy routine for your body.
   • Start your day with a good morning ritual that will make you feel alert so that you are ready for the rest of the day.
   • Be sensible. Don't stay up until three in the morning if you know you'll have to be awake a few hours later to go to school or work.
   • If you are tired because you had to stay up all night to study for a test, try making a study schedule for yourself so that you don't need to stay up all night next time. Most people are unable to absorb information when they are tired.
   • If you often have trouble falling asleep and then constantly feel like you have to fight sleep during the day, make an appointment with your doctor to see if you might have a sleep disorder.

Tips

• Don't tell yourself: I'm just closing my eyes for a moment. If you do, you will almost certainly fall asleep.
• A cold shower can help you wake up, while a hot shower can make you sleepy. Go for a splash of cold water to stay alert!
• Do not lie on anything that is overly comfortable, such as your bed or your favorite chair or sofa. Rather sit on a metal chair or, if necessary, on the floor.
• Do something you really enjoy; the more you get into something, the less likely it is that your mind will wander and you will fall asleep.
• Don't read; reading is very soothing to your thoughts.
• Grab your phone or tablet and play your favorite game.
• You don't have to think much to watch television, which makes you fall asleep sooner. If you're trying to stay awake, turn on the radio instead of the TV.
• Have a snack. Food puts your mind to work.
• Take some fruit and drink cold water; it has a refreshing effect and makes you feel more alert.
• If you want to stay awake, grab an ice cube and rub it on your face or hold it against your skin. The cold shakes you awake.

Warnings

• If you fall asleep on the road, park your car on the side of the road. Driving when you are about to fall asleep is just as dangerous as driving while drinking alcohol, and the consequences can be just as fatal.
• If you tend to pass out, don't look at flashy colors.
• If you have trouble falling asleep every night and always have trouble staying awake during the day, see your doctor.
• Having sleepless nights all the time is not good for your health. Prolonged sleep deprivation can lead to hallucinations, slurred speech, dizziness and a bad mood.