How to work if you haven't slept all night. Wash your face with cold water
Negatively affects the body. The mood deteriorates, the brain works more slowly, the metabolic processes, increases the risk of obesity and diabetes. Unfortunately, no fighting spirit will help you accept right decisions if you haven't gotten enough sleep. Even stimulants, such as coffee, will not allow you to think better.
But you can prepare for being awake at night as best as possible. How to stay awake and survive the night away from bed and recover as quickly as possible? So…
How to survive a sleepless night
1. Try to get plenty of sleep
Plan sleepless night It’s not always possible, but if you guess that you’ll have to suffer, prepare your body for the load. If you already sleep little, and then don’t sleep at all, negative effects such a regime will only accumulate.
But if you usually stick to the regime and rest within the normal range, from seven to nine hours, then one sleepless night won’t hurt. And if you sleep longer for a few days before the night marathon, then the consequences for the body will be minimal.
Yes, the article is just about how not to sleep. But sometimes 20 minutes is better than nothing. If you have the opportunity to get some rest, it is better to give preference to short sleep.
Two problems. The first is the risk of sleeping longer. The second, equally serious, is the inability to sleep. Well, how can you take a break for 20 minutes if your head is full of things to do, tasks, tickets? Lie on the floor in the Shavasana yoga pose. Even if you're not a fan of meditation or anything like that, just lie down on a flat, hard surface, spread your arms and legs out to the sides, set your alarm clock (20 minutes!), and then relax your muscles one by one, starting from your toes to the top of your head. Consciously, forcing yourself to completely liberate yourself. It will take two minutes for this relaxation. For another 18 you will either sleep, or at least just rest.
flickr.comIf possible, sleep for an hour or an hour and a half. This is how you wake up after the phase REM sleep and you will feel rested.
3. Turn on the light
We need darkness to produce melatonin, the sleep hormone. If you don't want to fall asleep, add light. For example, a light source located next to the eyes (desk lamp, monitor) will bring the brain into an active state.
4. Ventilate
We sleep better when the room is cool, that is, the temperature is around 18 °C. If you want to be cheerful, the room should not be warm or cold. 23–24 °C is the temperature at which you will not fall asleep.
5. Take a cool shower
Sometimes just the thought that it’s time to climb into cold water, you wake up. You need to, you need to wash your face (at least) if an invigorating shower causes panic. The effect of the method is short-term: the charge will last for half an hour or an hour, then you will have to go through the procedure again. But remember that she .
Replace washing and showering with ice cream or fruit ice. No more than once a night, so as not to conflict with the next point.
The candy will respond with irresistible fatigue in a few hours. Sweets will not help you retain energy: sugar will sharply increase your energy level, and then your strength will leave you just as abruptly.
It is better to eat foods that will provide you with energy for a long time. For example, light foods with high content squirrel. What kind of food is this? Nuts. Eggs. Nuts again. Eat it with vegetables and fruits.
flickr.com Don't put anything heavy or fatty on your plate; forget about fried chicken legs and hamburgers for now. And instead of bingeing on one meal, snack on small portions throughout the night to keep yourself energized.
7. Drink coffee, but in small portions
Coffee, of course, is a stimulant, but there is no need to exceed the dose of caffeine.
A couple of liters of coffee is as invigorating as a couple of cups, it’s not just a matter of quantity. The main thing is not to drink the entire dose of coffee at once.
When a night without sleep lies ahead, you need to focus on your tasks. Drinking more than two cups at once can cause overstimulation. nervous system and you will lose concentration.
So when you start to get tired, drink a cup or two slowly, preferably while chewing something. Then, after four hours, you can go for a coffee refill.
When your coffee requirement (which is four cups a day) has already been met, switch to water. With sufficient fluid supply to the body, each cell works better, and it is much easier to concentrate on work.
There is also folk remedies for cheerfulness. For example, tincture of eleutherococcus or ginseng. Add them to tea (in therapeutic doses!), these are natural tonics that will help fire up your brain and get it working.
8. Better to chew
Chewing gum increases activity and may even improve brain function. Help yourself and choose mint gum. Mint promotes brain activity, and its aroma improves memory.
By the way, about smells. Essential oils of tangerine, lemon, orange, rosemary are also invigorating. If you don’t like flavorings and oils, just eat your sleep with oranges, or better yet, a fruit dessert with citrus and mint.
flickr.com 9. Get up and walk around
Take a short break every 45 minutes to go for a short walk. If you drink a lot, as advised above, then you will have to constantly go to the toilet, so use the forced break to walk a little more.
This is especially important if you work all night at the computer. From time to time, do the well-known exercise: take your eyes off the screen and focus on a distant point.
Instead of a short warm-up, do a massage. A full body massage will turn you off, but it’s better to knead individual points. Neck, ears, head, fingers - restore blood circulation in these areas to make it easier to think and move.
10. Choose an active background music
Set aside sounds of nature, mantras, lullabies and romantic music until next day. Too monotonous tracks, even harsh and loud ones, will also not help to maintain vigor. Make a dynamic playlist that makes you want to dance to. At three o'clock in the morning, there will be no time for entertainment while studying notes, but you won't be able to sleep either.
Sit on an uncomfortable chair. Straighten your back, grab your gadgets and set reminders. Just no armchairs, sofas or soft pillows. Stools, a flat floor - these are your workplaces. Keep your body toned so that your brain doesn't relax either.
flickr.com 12. Find great experiences
When a sleepy veil covers your eyes, you need to wake yourself up with an emotional bomb. Talk to someone whose views are obviously opposite to yours, and even more so. hot topic(you can arrange a discussion in the comments). Open a link to a resource that you truly hate. The task is not to get carried away and not to prove to your opponent that you are right with all your might, but simply to get a dose of adrenaline and open your eyes wider.
How to survive the next day
All attempts to artificially add vigor can only be a temporary measure.
You don't add more resources to yourself when you pour a can of energy drink inside. You simply help the body burn its own fuel by working two or three shifts in a row.
Therefore, put all your efforts into recovery.
1. Don't drive
Research shows that a sleepy driver is no better than a drunk driver. So if you have a sleepless night on your schedule, ask someone to give you a ride to work or take public transport. Until you get at least four hours of sleep straight, no driving.
Don't want to destroy normal mode- don't go to bed during the day. Otherwise, you risk falling asleep so much that you only open your eyes in the evening. And then return to normal schedule it will be much more difficult. If you sleep, then according to the night schedule: 20, 60, 90 minutes. Not more.
flickr.com 3. Save coffee for later
When your hands reach for a can of coffee and energy drinks, resist. Even if you drink coffee six hours before bed, caffeine disrupts your rest. You need to drink a couple of cups in the morning, but after 16:00 stop going to the coffee machine. Otherwise, despite your nightly adventures, you will sleep poorly.
4. Stop multitasking
It's better to choose two tasks and work on them in turn. When you feel like you're losing track of what you're doing, take a break and then move on to another task. Don't do them at the same time - your brain just can't do it fast enough. But he also cannot be busy with routine work. The same actions will make you fall asleep, and new task activates thought processes. Give yourself some wiggle room to keep your thoughts on track.
5. Keep drinking and eating vegetables
Yes, yes, yes, drink water! We are aware that this is the most popular advice when it comes to health. Well, follow him finally. :)
If we don't sleep enough, we reach for high-calorie foods and eat more often than usual, although physical activity decreases. Therefore, by the way, regular lack of sleep is associated with a high body mass index.
Proper nutrition is especially important when you are not doing well with the rest of your diet.
The solution is to crunch on vegetables and fruits; nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants will protect the cells until you can provide them with normal recovery.
6. You need to do at least some exercise
It’s better to lift weights on another day, just like running multi-kilometer distances. But they will help you get through a difficult day and dispel sleep. Well, after light physical activity, even an overloaded brain will sleep better.
7. Eat little. And don't drink
A tired brain will demand pleasure, and the easiest way to get it is through food. The dangers of overeating have been known for a long time, so you will only feel overwhelming fatigue if you eat an extra piece.
And advice from the captain: don’t drink anything alcoholic. Lack of sleep + alcohol = disaster.
Scientists have long established that alcohol generally has a detrimental effect on sleep, so if you want to recover from last night’s race, even a glass of wine will be unnecessary.
Even if you are chronically sleep deprived, you can improve your condition by sleeping for 10 hours straight. Such sleep will help restore motor skills, and the next morning you will feel much better.
flickr.com Results
So, if you need to survive a sleepless night, remember that the body will not be happy. This means that in other areas you need to take care of your health: proper nutrition, sufficient quantity liquids (not alcohol), both at night and the next day. Schedule opportunities to recover and take breaks from work.
Nothing will happen to you from one night like this, of course. At most, you will be irritated for a couple of days.
But chronic lack of sleep It takes a toll on your health, but that’s another story.
Sooner or later, almost every person is faced with the question of how not to fall asleep if you want to sleep. There can be many reasons for this - deadlines at work, a study session, long night trips. It is especially difficult to stay alert while someone is sleeping next to you.
Some people drink liters of coffee, others listen to music - everyone has different ways of staying alert. In this case, the brain can play cruel joke: after finishing work, when you can finally go to bed, you can’t sleep! Let's find out how to properly overcome drowsiness.
10 ways to stay awake at work
It doesn’t matter how many hours you slept the night before – 7 or 3 – in some situations, sleepiness at work appears constantly. Especially if the person is a night owl, and he has to work in the morning. Then it is especially difficult to concentrate, because more than half of the working day is spent fighting sleep.
To avoid sleeping at work, you can use several effective methods. Their use will reduce drowsiness, increase blood supply to the brain, thereby provoking vigor, which is necessary for a long trip behind the wheel or when working in the office.
Perhaps car enthusiasts have already been able to learn something useful from the first block of our recommendations. But let's not dwell on this. Before you go on a long journey to own car, check out proven methods to combat sleep while driving.
1. Rest for at least 8-10 hours before a long trip. Deep sleep in complete peace and quiet it will provide you with vigor and strength that cannot be replaced by more than one source of caffeine.
2. Turn on the air conditioner regularly to perk up. Most importantly, do not forget to close the windows so as not to catch a cold.
3. The presence of a good companion in the car is one of the best ways not to fall asleep. Pleasant communication conceals the duration and monotony of the ride, which often makes you feel sleepy.
4. After every hour or two of driving, stop the car and do eye exercises to relieve eye strain. First, blink actively, and then begin to move your gaze from a close to a distant object and back.
5. Chew on sunflower or pumpkin seeds. This activity, as you know, is addictive, and therefore you are unlikely to be able to fall asleep. The only disadvantage of this method is the need to clean the interior upon arrival.
Anti-drowsiness medications
Exists whole line medications that help prevent drowsiness.
Important: These medications should only be taken after consulting a doctor. Without prior consultation, you can cause significant harm to the body, especially if taken uncontrolled.
- Caffeine benzoate. " Coffee tablets" Pure caffeine, which helps keep you alert. Acts as an energy drink. Strictly contraindicated for people with VSD hypertensive type and renal dysfunction, as it causes an increase blood pressure. In case of an overdose, migraines, nausea, and vomiting occur.
- Phenotropil. Nootropic drug to increase the efficiency of mental activity. Helps to cheer up “here and now”. Long-term use causes exhaustion, and therefore should not be abused.
- Piracetam. Stimulates cerebral circulation, increasing the duration of mental work. Valid only when used as a course.
What to do if you always want to sleep
If drowsiness is a constant companion, regardless of the presence or absence of exercise, you should pay attention to the following recommendations. Following them will help to significantly increase your performance and maintain your vigor throughout the day.
- Regular sleep. You should get at least 6-8 hours of sleep every day. A normal amount of sleep helps keep you alert for a long time.
- Consumption of vegetables and fruits. Maintaining the required level of vitamins also significantly helps in maintaining the necessary state and helps not to fall asleep at the most unexpected moment. . Regular exercise stress promotes the production of endorphins, which causes vigor.
- Sex. Great source endorphins and Have a good mood. But here it is important to take into account that partners must both enjoy the process, otherwise the desired effect will not occur.
- Fresh air . Constant ventilation allows for normal amount oxygen in the room. This makes it possible to carry out its full transport through cells and tissues, keeping the brain alert.
If you follow these tips, you can fall asleep very quickly. If you regularly experience problems falling asleep, you should consult a doctor.
Are experiencing acute shortage time and try to solve the problem different ways. Some people are cutting back on the hours they spend on their favorite friends and hobbies, while others are thinking: “What if I don’t sleep all night?” What will happen in this case, we will consider further.
Duration of healthy sleep
First of all, let's remember how long it should last healthy sleep. For an adult, its duration is 6-8 hours, but it all depends on the characteristics of the body. There are also people for whom a 5-hour rest is enough. Children tend to sleep longer, but the amount of sleep decreases with age.
Reasons for not getting enough sleep at night
1. Physiological characteristics.
Thus, lack of night rest can really become a serious problem for the body. Insomnia will definitely affect a person's health. It’s better not to test your strength, not to ask the question: “What will happen if you don’t sleep all night?” - and allocate enough time for regular sleep at the prescribed hours.
There are situations in life when there is absolutely not enough daytime to complete an urgent task, and in order to complete it you have to sacrifice sleep. But, when you had to prepare a quarterly report all night, or “stayed late” at a party, or a child did not let you fall asleep until the morning, or just a trivial incident happened, a person does not suspect what awaits him. What is the morning after a sleepless night? It's a line of empty people coffee cups, a feeling of victory over oneself and the body’s revenge for disruption of sleep and wakefulness.
The state of not sleeping all night can be compared to the consequences of drinking a fair amount of alcohol. The reaction speed decreases, any incoming information is perceived with difficulty. Attention and coordination are at a minimum. In a word, it is better not to deceive nature. But what if a similar situation has already happened? How to make it through the day, how to not want to sleep after a sleepless night?
How to feel energized if you haven't slept all night
Let's look at some "advice from the old."
1. Try to make a deal with your body. Okay, let’s say you didn’t get the rest everyone needed. healthy person time. But you can take ten minutes to regain some strength. According to scientists, such a short sleep can also be beneficial and partially restore energy. Either way, you'll feel a little better than if you hadn't slept at all. 2. Without getting out of bed (if you still happen to get there), perform the “scissors” and “bicycle” exercises. This will ensure a rush of blood to the limbs and it will be much easier to rise. Inhale several times any citrus aroma from essential oils(in especially severe cases - ammonia), then accept cold shower. This will speed up metabolic processes and you will feel a surge of strength.
Using the above tips, you should know that all these methods only delay the desire to fall asleep, but do not neutralize it at all.
If you manage to cheer up and survive the day after a sleepless night, be sure to thank your body for such endurance and give it the opportunity to sleep. This will be compensation for forced overwork. Sleep is as important for the body as food and water; try not to disrupt your biorhythm in the future and think through your work schedule more carefully.
After a fun party, a night of intensive preparation for exams, overtime A working day is coming, which you need to get through safely. It’s hard to get involved in the work process and stay alert the next day. The body requires rest, reactions slow down slightly, attentiveness and productivity decrease. Appears around lunchtime desire sleep. There are several tricks on how to recover from a sleepless night and last until the evening.
The best option is to sleep for an hour and a half in the morning. Nap relieves stress, increases the ability to absorb information, improves physical state. The body receives a small supply of energy, which helps to last through the day. Don't think about how to wake up after morning sleep if you haven't slept all night. In 90 minutes, sleep will go through all stages, enter fast phase. At this moment it is easy to wake up. After waking up, you don’t feel drowsy or tired. When time is short, try to fall asleep for 20 minutes. Drink coffee to help you get up easier. Caffeine will take effect within 20 minutes and provide easy awakening. As much as you might want to stay in bed and take a nap for a few minutes, get up right away. A minute can turn into more long time. The brain will enter a phase deep sleep and it will be very difficult to wake up.
Invigorating smells that activate the brain help. Inhale the aroma of citrus, pine, eucalyptus after sleep, nutmeg, juniper. If rush jobs at work, late parties, and studying at night are the norm for you, buy a bottle of aromatic oil and apply a few drops on a handkerchief. You can use it at work when you feel sleepy. This way, even if you haven't slept all night, you can be more or less all cheerful day.
The next stage of preparing the body for the working day after a sleepless night is a small morning work-out. It will help you finally wake up, improve your well-being, and activate the activity of all body systems.
Contrasting colors will be of great benefit water procedures. Such a small stress for the body promotes the release of adrenaline. A small release of the hormone stimulates the nervous system and provides the brain with additional blood. Cold and hot shower washes away the remnants of lethargy, the person feels collected, ready for study or work.
If a woman hasn't slept all night, she will try to disguise sleepy look. Bright light is considered the enemy of sleep. During gymnastics and beauty treatments, turn on the upper bright lighting, which will reduce drowsiness and give a signal to the brain that it’s time to wake up.
What to eat for breakfast
Don't neglect breakfast, especially after a sleepless night. Pamper yourself healthy food which gives energy. A good option – oatmeal with berries or fruits. You can eat cottage cheese, eggs, hard cheese. If you don't have time, eat nuts. When it is difficult to wake up and get up in the morning, drink green tea instead of coffee. It gives a good tonic effect. There is just one trick: brew the tea leaves for no more than two minutes. After prolonged brewing, the drink acquires calming properties.
After a hard night, the morning will be cheerful if you eat a piece of dark chocolate. It promotes the production of endorphins, which will lift your mood and make your brain work. Good coffee will help you cheer up, but several cups invigorating drink, drinking in a row will overstimulate the nervous system.
How to stay awake during the day
Don’t despair if you haven’t managed to follow the previous recommendations. A short nap in transport will help you recover and significantly improve your condition. Nuts will replace breakfast, and a run to your place of work will invigorate you.
A night without sleep reduces the perception of information. Put off difficult tasks until 10 am. The body adapts to this time. But by 13-14 o'clock drowsiness will again begin to overcome you at the workplace. People who are constantly sleep deprived know how to cheer up after a sleepless night. Try to find 20 minutes to sleep during lunch. To wake up easier, you need to repeat the trick with coffee. The first minutes after waking up will be difficult, but later the body will thank you for the short rest by increasing its performance. There will be enough energy until the end of the working day. But what to do if you can’t sleep and need to focus on work?
A few tips will help you get through the day after a sleepless night:
- Do some exercise.
Run up a few steps sports exercises will increase the volume of blood flowing to the brain. You will immediately feel invigorated. - Refresh yourself.
Wash your face, or open the window, go outside, lower the air conditioner temperature. - Take a break from food.
Eat an apple or light sandwich, a piece of chocolate. Heavy food will make you drowsy. To sleep well at night, you will have to give up caffeine-containing drinks after lunch. - Maintain an upright posture.
Correct posture while sitting allows you to maintain alertness. - Take a pleasant break.
Laughter and positive emotions stimulate brain activity.
The next peak of sleepiness occurs at 18-19 hours. Resist the urge to take a nap and go to bed at your usual time. A short nap in the evening will disrupt your routine. The day will end with you being awake, you will not get enough sleep again. The morning will begin with a difficult awakening, and in the afternoon you will want to sleep again.
List of used literature:
- Zepelin H. Normal age related changes in sleep // Sleep Disorders: Basic and Clinical Research / ed. by M. Chase, E. D. Weitzman. - New York: SP Medical, 1983.
- Foldvary-Schaefer N., Grigg-Damberger M. Sleep and epilepsy: what we know, don’t know, and need to know. // J Clin Neurophysiol. - 2006
- Poluektov M.G. (ed.) Somnology and sleep medicine. National leadership in memory of A.N. Vein and Ya.I. Levina M.: “Medforum”, 2016.
