Content

• Steps

Sometimes we have good reasons to stay up all night. Maybe you have to study for a sprint before an important exam or complete an assigned essay, sometimes it's as simple as plowing a movie. It is also possible that your sleep is disturbed while abroad, and a night of staying awake will help you return to a normal sleep routine. Whatever the reason, it's not easy for everyone to stay up all night. You need tactics to be able to do this safely and effectively.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Plan ahead

1. 

   Sleep a lot the night before. Our bodies can go through a night without sleep much more easily than with a sleepless night plus a lack of sleep, so you need to get as much sleep as you can the night before.
   • Sleep well. If you wake up around 8 or 9 o'clock, you are less likely to fall asleep when it's time to wake up.
   • Not only waking up late in the morning, try going to bed a little later the night before.If you go to bed at 9 p.m., your body will start falling asleep around the same time.
   • If you can, take a nap a few hours before your wake-up time to give your body more time to rest and store energy.

2. 

   
   
   Try to take a nap in the afternoon. That way, you will be energized for the whole night. If you can, get 2-3 hours of sleep and prevent all distractions from sleeping. Remember to set a timer to avoid oversleeping!
   • If your eyes are drowsy, take a nap during the night to stay awake, but remember not to take it longer than 20 minutes. If you sleep longer, you may sleep again until morning!
   • If you wear contact lenses, be sure to remove them, as this can damage your eyes and prevent you from sleeping well.

3. 

   
   
   Eat well during the day. If you want to stay awake at night, you must eat three healthy and balanced meals during the day before trying to stay awake at night; otherwise, you will feel lethargic with unhealthy foods or exhausted from nutritional deficiencies. Here's what you should eat for that day:
   • Eat a full and nutritious breakfast. Eat healthy starches like oats or whole wheat cereals, protein like turkey or ham, plus some fruits and vegetables. Add some yogurt or cottage cheese.
   • Eat a healthy lunch. Eat a slice of sandwich, a hard-boiled egg or a large plate of salad with avocado, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes. Choose foods that can energize you without feeling drowsy.
   • Eat dinner suitable for staying up late. This will be your last meal before you're prepared to stay awake all night, so make use of it effectively. Avoid oily foods that will make you feel bloated and bloated. Instead, eat chicken or turkey, couscous, whole wheat pasta, fruits, and vegetables. Be sure to eat energetic carbohydrates and proteins such as soybeans, chicken or ham.
   • Avoid foods and beverages that are high in caffeine and sugar. If you keep drinking coffee all day or eating sweet snacks like sweets, you will be very tired and just want to go to bed after dinner.

4. 

   
   
   Stock up on healthy foods to eat late at night. Prepare some healthy snacks to sip on an empty stomach at night. Keep some food in the refrigerator if you plan to stay up overnight at home. When you are about to stay up all night, you can stock up on these foods:
   • Healthy vegetables. Carrot and celery bars are great snacks to sip without making you sleepy. You can even eat celery with a little peanut butter.
   • Healthy fruit. Apples and bananas are easy to carry and very good energy sources.
   • Nuts. Almonds, walnuts, and cashews are nutritionally dense proteins.
   • If you plan to stay up all night at home, keep some chicken, tofu or turkey in the refrigerator and some pasta or couscous that you can quickly cook as needed.
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Part 2 of 4: Stay awake and stay awake

1. 

   Stimulate the body. There are a few tips for staying awake and alert throughout the night. You will rarely feel sleepy if your body parts are in active state. Perform simple movements like tapping the floor and stretching. Once in a habit, these movements can save you from falling asleep in the moment when it feels "unbearable", and help keep you awake and focused.
   • Muscle relaxants. Stretch your arms, calves, and wrists to help flex your body and reduce tension.
   • Rotate shoulders from front to back then back to front, at the same time turn your head to the sides.
   • Massage hands quickly.
   • Knock your foot on the floor.
   • If you feel like you are going to fall asleep, pin yourself or bite your tongue lightly.
   • Gently twitch the earlobes.
   • Chew on gum or suck on mint to force your mouth to work.
   • If you find your eyes start to tire, give your eyes a break by looking out a window or another location.
   • Stimulate the senses. Turn on the lights and play music at medium volume to force your senses to stay awake.
     • Try playing the background music. If the music has a good rhythm, maybe you even accidentally tap your feet to the beat.

2. 

   Brain stimulation. Keeping a clear mind is just as important as stimulating the body. In order for your mind to be alert, sometimes you have to switch activities and focus on what you are doing. You can stimulate the following brain:
   • Focus. Notice everything that is going on around. Ask questions if you don't understand something, such as a passage in a textbook that you were confused about during class.
   • Conversation. If you are in a group study session to prepare for the exam, you will easily talk with your classmates. If you're at home and struggling to stay awake, call a “night owl” friend or chat with friends online.
   • Keep interacting. If you are watching a movie, ask yourself questions about the movie to make sure you understand all the details in the movie.
   • Don't let your mind drift. If you are watching TV or chatting, be sure to focus on the task at hand instead of letting your mind drift.

3. 

   Breaks. Avoid feeling of low energy and loss of motivation by setting a certain pace for yourself. For example, try working for 40-55 minutes, then take a 5-20-minute break or go for a quick walk in a well-lit, well-lit area.
   • Don't be distracted by looking at the clock.
   • Break times are especially important if you are working on the computer; It helps you with headaches and eye fatigue.

4. 

   Change activities. If you want to stay up all night, change your activities from time to time to keep things fresh and you don't fall asleep. You can make a few changes like:
   • Switch to another activity every 30 minutes. If you're watching a movie at your sleep party, take a break from time to time to go to the bathroom or have a snack. If you are studying for the exam, put your notebook aside and switch to the study cards.
   • Change the environment. If you can change your environment, you'll be more alert. When studying for exam review, move to another area of ​​the library or the dormitory. If you're hanging out with your friends at a sleeping party, you can try inviting people into other rooms.
   • Move to other positions of the room. If you're having fun at a New Year's party at a friend's house and feel like you're about to fall asleep, just leave your sofa to the kitchen and keep chatting. If you still have to sit again, move to another seat.

5. 

   Do some gentle exercises. It is well known that intense exercise at the beginning of sleep will make you even more tired, but a few gentle 10-minute exercises can wake your body up and let your brain know that not yet must be bedtime. Here are a few suggestions for you:
   • If you are going to a party, go upstairs to find the restroom instead of going to the toilet in a more convenient location.
   • Spend 10 minutes outside for a walk, or even walk around in your room to awaken your senses.
   • If you're alone in your room, you can do 30 jumps or 2 minutes of running in place.

6. 

   Watch horror movie. Take a break to watch a horror video if you think it works. A horror movie can keep people awake, but you shouldn't watch it if it turns into a hobby; try to watch for 5-20 minutes of the break time.
   • Choose a movie with a theme that makes you really scared. It's no use watching giant spider movies and you're a spider lover.
   • If you don't have a choice for a horror movie, you might want to try watching documentaries on horror topics.

7. 

   Drink caffeine in an emergency. Although the caffeine can make you "drunk" and even more tired afterward, if your eyes start to get heavy after dawn, it may be time to resort to caffeine.
   • Start with a cup of black tea. Black tea's side effects are not as strong as coffee.
   • If you are too used to drinking coffee, drink 2-3 cups.
   • In really urgent situations, you can drink energy drinks like Mother, Monster or Red Bull.

   Warning! Make sure not to drink too much of these.Only drink up to 4 cans maximum! Energy drinks will definitely energize your body for 1-2 hours, but after that you will also feel significantly tired.

8. 

   Eat protein-rich foods for energy maintenance. Sandwiches, cheese and dairy products can make you more alert. Sugar-filled foods can keep you awake for a short time, but it will eventually make you tired and sleepy. Apples are a blood sugar-stabilizing fruit so you will stay awake longer. Any healthy fruit is better than sweets.
   • Avoid having a hearty dinner on the day you need to stay up all night. It will make you feel drowsy and sleepy. Eat healthy, light meals, such as stir-fries.
   • Avoid alcoholic beverages, as it is a neurotransmitter that will make you sleepy.
   • Try to eat something with protein when it's time for breakfast, as protein is a persistent fuel for your body.

9. 

   Choose the right food. When you're trying to stay up all night, eat just enough to keep up your energy needs, but don't overeat to avoid feeling heavy and sluggish. If you've eaten three nutritious meals, you won't get a "belly ant" when you stay up all night, but if you crave something, here are a few foods that can help keep you awake:
   • A hard-boiled egg or a quick-fried egg if you're at home.
   • A handful of almonds, cashews or pecans.
   • A fresh apple, celery or carrot sticks. Just sipping on these snacks will help your mouth work and you will be more alert. Bananas are great late-night foods because they keep you awake longer than usual. Bananas are also a good source of vitamin B1 and potassium.
   • A slice of toast with some peanut butter.
   • If you crave a late night snack, try to choose healthy carbohydrates like brown rice and proteins like turkey. If you have to order food home, choose options that are not too greasy.

10. 

    Open hardcore metal music. You may not be interested in this music, but its strong and hysterical rhythm will keep your mind awake. You should choose non-verbal music to avoid distraction. You will not fall asleep listening to this music.
    • If there are other people sleeping nearby, obviously you have to turn down the volume. Wear a headset if necessary.

11. 

    Day press and massage the ear. There are acupuncture points in the ear that, when stimulated, transmit electrical signals to the brain. After doing this, you will feel more energized and alert. For example:
    • Press on the tip of the ear to relieve tension in the back and shoulders.
    • Pinch the center of the ear to reduce pain in the joints.

12. 

    Drink a lot of water. Being hydrated will keep you awake significantly. Drink a glass of ice water to wake up the body and drink water regularly to feel healthy.
    • When you drink a lot of water, you will also have to go to the toilet several times, so you will be more awake.
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Part 3 of 4: Maintain an optimistic spirit

1. 

   Only stay up all night if that's a must. You shouldn't stay up all night just to study; Sleep is the period during which memories are effectively processed. If you don't sleep, your brain is less efficient at storing information. In most cases, getting a bit of sleep at night is better than not sleeping at all.
   • To stay healthy, you should never stay up for 2 consecutive nights. Try to stay up as little as possible all night.

2. 

   Positive thinking. Negative thoughts will only decrease your productivity, so encourage yourself that your time and effort will pay off. On the contrary, having positive thoughts will help you stay motivated and not give up anytime soon. For example:
   • "I'm almost done!"
   • "This is actually not very difficult."
   • "I will be able to see the sunrise."
   • "I'll get a good score."
   • If you find a document boring, try to convince yourself to love it by repeating a sentence like "This DNA section is very interesting." Don't underestimate the power of self-deception.

3. 

   Reward yourself with each result. For example, you might promise to reward yourself with a 15-minute break after completing an exercise. During your break, you can enjoy a delicious snack and watch TV, surf the web or play games.
   • The reward is like a carrot with a stick in front of a donkey's eyes; it will help motivate you to keep trying despite fatigue.
   • Remember to set the reward before you start working. This will boost your mood.
4. Plan some time off for the next day so you can regain your strength. A night of staying awake can be very hard for your body and mind. You need to go to bed after staying up all night and completing a mission. Also, schedule some time for the next day to relax and recharge, such as watching a movie or TV show, going for a walk or doing something you enjoy. advertisement

Part 4 of 4: Improve workspace and minimize distractions

1. 

   Turn off all equipment. Stay away from cell phones, televisions and other electronic devices. Don't surf the web either. If internet still Too tempting, you should always turn off the Wifi and do not turn on again when you're not done.
   • Download an app that blocks entertainment websites, such as SelfControl.
   • You can leave your phone in the airplane mode instead of turning it off so that incoming messages will be blocked until you switch back to normal mode.

2. 

   Blurred windows while working. Unlike warm air that often makes it difficult to stay awake, cold air will make it easier to stay awake at night. Imagine cold nights when you cannot sleep compared to the nights you do not sleep in a warm room. If the cold air is working, you can even go to the bathroom and splash cold water on your face to wake up.
   • Not everyone is more alert when in cold air. There are people who feel the opposite; the warm air kept them awake, and the cold put them to sleep. Choose the environment that works best for you.

3. 

   Avoid working in a comfortable place. Do not place work area on a bed, sofa or floor. If you work anywhere other than a table or chair that is both hard and cold, it will be very difficult to resist sleepiness, and the more comfortable the seat is, the more temptation will increase.
   • If possible, work away from a sleeping area or bed so that you cannot easily go to sleep.
   • Try to be with other people. Knowing that you can be seen by others, you'll be motivated to try not to fall asleep in a chair.

4. 

   Keep sitting upright. Be careful with the slumped posture. When we are tired, we will naturally slump, but don't be. Sit up straight. This posture will increase alertness, and you will feel better.
   • Try sitting in different places around the room.
   • Do not close your eyes but lie on the bed. You will fall asleep and fall into a strange dreamer in which you convince yourself that you have completed the task in your dreams.

5. 

   Understand your limits. If you can't remember what you just read or doze off, then you need to listen to your body and go to sleep.
   • Sometimes 3-4 hours of sleep is better than falling into lethargy the next day.
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