How To Stay Awake

Do you often feel sleepy at work? Do you dose off while studying? Staying awake seems to be very difficult for some people. Thanks to the frequent visits to the cafeteria and fast food joints, our capability to stay awake has come down drastically. When you are bombarded with the sleepiness virus, all what you can think of is a nap. While our mind gets blocked and almost stops functioning, the heartbeat becomes faster - probably trying to cope with the stress and pressure of the pending work. In the following lines, we provide tips on how to stay awake, even in the wee hours of the night.

Tips For Staying Awake

The best way to stay awake would be to increase the intake of water. It is seen that dehydration makes a person sleepy. So, the best deal would be to have lots of water. Water is also very good for the health of your skin, so it would solve dual purpose.
It is good to take a break every one hour. The brain gets saturated after an hour of concentrated work. Give it a rest of about 15 minutes, but make sure not to exceed that time limit. Set an alarm. During the break, you can do a number of things, like watch a TV show, talk to a friend, read a book, or listen to some music.
Exercising has been found to be effective in driving away the sleepiness syndrome. Take a short walk or dance to some music. You can also head straight to the gym for a session of workout. Taking a shower after the workout is likely to wake you up the most.
Drive away all the comfort materials. Remember, you are trying to stay awake and cozy surroundings are unlikely to help you achieve it. Things that are a strict no-no include soft bed or chair, pillows, soft music and everything that makes you relax.
Nibbling on something is effective in fighting sleep. However, do not binge on any kind of junk food. It would be counteractive, making you sleep instantly. Instead, go for fruits like apples, as they are good for stabilizing the blood sugar levels. For some, they work even better than a cup of coffee.
This may come as a surprise to you, but a smell - good or bad, is likely to wake you up instantaneously. Fragrance of some of the essential oils, like rosemary and eucalyptus blue gum, stimulates the nervous system and reduces drowsiness or the feeling of fatigue. Sniffing on some peppermint and coffee beans also increases alertness.
Tapping on a few places in the body increases the level of alertness and helps in staying awake. With your finger tip, tap the top of your head, back of your neck, back of your hands between thumb and index finger and just below the knees and earlobes.
If you have some spare time, like 15-20 minutes, take a power nap. It will prove to be very beneficial in reducing fatigue and energize you completely. You will feel refreshed and be able to work better thereafter.
Listening to some good peppy numbers would revive your spirit. If possible, dance and sing, even if it means slightly nodding the head or humming the song. However, make sure that you are not disturbing other people in your vicinity.
Do not have heavy meals. Rather than 3 large meals in a day, have 5 to 6 small ones. Munching throughout the day has also been found to be helpful in driving away the sleepiness.
If your work demands you to sit throughout the day, make sure that you keep your back upright. Do not rest your head on anything, be it your hands, desk or wall.
During winters, you are likely to feel drowsy. In such a situation, it is advisable to let yourself feel a little chill. Take off your jacket or sweat shirt. Making yourself warm and cozy is likely to let sleepiness take over.
Other things that you can do to stay awake include splashing cold water on your face, drinking an ice cold glass of water, brushing your teeth and having a cup of strong coffee.

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