When Sleeping is Not an Option

There are times when getting some shut eye is a no-no. Maybe it's the night before the exam, or you're waiting for an important mail. Whatever it is, here are some steps that will help you conquer sleep for a night. As it turns out, following common wisdom is a great idea in this case!

1. Drink caffeine: Let's just get this out of the way. Some coffee or tea will go a long way in keeping you awake. But avoid sugar, or drinking energy drinks (which contain sugar) if possible. Sugar provides a stronger temporary boost, but will cause fatigue before the night is over.

2. Switch the lights on: Bright lights can trick our brains into daytime-mode, making us a lot less sleepy.  So turn on all the lights in your room!

3. Move around: Take breaks from your work to walk around a little or do some light exercise. It will take away the weariness from your body.

4. Listen to loud music: Loud music can whack your brain into activity. So put on your headphones, play some Iron Maiden or heavy metal (whatever floats your boat) and give yourself a boost.

5. Don't multitask: Forcing yourself to stay awake stretches your brain's resources thin. Doing multiple tasks simultaneously at this state will worsen things. It can be extremely tiring, and possibly harmful. Stick to the task you HAVE to do.

6. Stay hydrated: A drop in your hydration level can severely limit your body's ability to keep going, so drink cold water periodically.The coldness and hydration, combined, will provide a 1-2 punch in staving off sleep.

7. Munch on midnight snacks: The extra energy and activity from having midnight snacks can be valuable for staying awake. Avoid sugary items for the aforementioned reasons, and try to increase protein intake. Meaty items are recommended.

8. Chew gum: The constant activity of chewing gum can increase attention and focus, thus keeping sleep away. Furthermore, it helps in building up your jawline!

9. Take a cold shower: It has been observed that hot showers make us sleepy while cold showers jolt us awake. If fighting off sleep becomes really hard, taking a cold shower is possibly the best option.

10. Avoid power naps: A power nap of 5-20 minutes will be a huge help in staying awake the rest of the night. But in most cases, a planned power nap turns into a prolonged snoozefest. So, unless you have the self-control of a soldier, avoid "I'll just let my eyes rest for a few minutes" scenarios.

11. Make yourself uncomfortable: Don't lean on your favourite chair or lie in your bed expecting to stay awake, because being comfy makes it way easier to doze off. So, avoid comfortable positions. Sit upright on a hard chair, or the floor.

12. Watch cat videos: Trust me, this isn't a joke. A study on 7,000 participants found out that the internet's favourite activity actually helps our brains to stay awake. So, watching cat videos, or other animal videos, can be a very enjoyable way of staving off sleep.

Novo Manzoor is an athlete. He surfs the web all day. You can reach him at: novo_manzoor@yahoo.com