How to stay awake?

Hi,
Interesting question...I will offer 2 suggestions that have worked for me and that is exercising - even if only for a short time to get your blood going. And, taking a powernap when you can during the day...even if you only have 10 mins for a nap and 10 mins for working out, I think it will help.
Good luck! :)

Dear Abbie,

I think all the previous answers are great. The only thing I want to add is to ask an obvious question, namely are you getting enough sleep at night? Apparently most high school and college students only sleep about six hours a night when they should be getting eight to nine hours. This is especially true for high school students. If you are getting a reasonable amount of sleep then by all means follow the recommendations of the other writers.

Good luck in dealing with this problem.

Ray Finn, Ph.D.

Hi,

Need toothpicks to keep your eyes open at work? If you're trying to kick the caffeine habit for the New Year, don't fret! There's no need to drag yourself to the coffee machine for a high-octane cup of joe. Just follow these caffeine-free tips, and you'll learn how to stay away at work!

1. Strut your stuff. Studies show that taking a 20 minute walk can boost your energy levels and decrease fatigue. Low-impact exercise seems better than higher impact exercise for fatigue levels, so you don't have to be a power walker to see benefits. Another plus is people who exercise tend to sleep better (and not at work!).

1b. How: Just put on some comfy shoes and take a decent-paced walk! Only 20 minutes should rev up your energy levels.

1. Involve your ears. Listening to music while you work can help keep you awake and increase your concentration levels, experts say.

2b. How: Simple! Pop on some comfy headphones—nothing with speakers if you work with other people – and see what kind of music works best for your productivity. For some people it's Bach. For others it's Lady Gaga. It's a highly individual thing, and can even vary for you depending on the task at hand.

1. Give your eyes a break. If you don't take breaks from your computer you can end up with headaches, tired and sore eyes—and fatigue. A brief, well-timed eye break can keep your eyes happy.

How can you stay awake naturally? Try some of these 10 jitter-free tips to take the edge off sleepiness.

1. Get Up and Move Around to Feel Awake.


2. Take a Nap to Take the Edge Off Sleepiness: Min. 5 min to Max. 25 min.


3. Give Your Eyes a Break to Avoid Fatigue.


4. Eat a Healthy Snack to Boost Energy.


5. Start a Conversation to Wake Up Your Mind.


6. Turn Up the Lights to Ease Fatigue.


7. If You’re Driving, Pull Over When Sleepy.


8. Drink Water to Prevent Tiredness.


9. Exercise to Increase Energy and Reduce Fatigue/


10. Take a Breather to Feel Alert:
    Deep breathing raises blood oxygen levels in the body. This slows your heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and improves circulation, ultimately aiding mental performance and energy. The idea of deep-breathing exercises is to inhale to the abdomen, not the chest. You can do them at your desk. Sitting up straight, try this exercise up to 10 times:
    With one hand on your belly just below your ribs and the other on your chest, inhale deeply through your nose and let your belly push your hand out. Your chest should not move.
    Breathe out through lips pursed as if you were whistling. You can use the hand on your belly to help push air out.
    Another technique, called stimulating breath, is used in yoga for a quick energy boost and increased alertness: Inhale and exhale rapidly through your nose, keeping your mouth closed but relaxed. Make your in-and-out breaths short -- do about three of each cycle in a second. Then breathe normally. You can do this for up to 15 seconds the first time and then add on five seconds each time after until you reach a minute.

General Tips
- Walking
- Jumping Jacks
- Push-Ups
- Expose yourself to a lot of light (especially natural light)
- Drink a lot of water, dehydration causes fatigue
- Listen to upbeat music

Eating/Drinking Do's + Don't
- Do
Graze lightly every few hours on food high in protein (Eggs, Almonds, Cashews)
In addition to this fruits+vegetables
Drink Caffeine through out the day not at once
- Don't
Eat a heavy food (especially super starchy), this will slow you down
Drink energy drinks (sugar will probably make you crash and sugar-free one are loaded with aspartame which is bad)

To Feel more alert
- Pull down your earlobes
- Rub the back of your hands between your thumb and index finger
- Press against below, the back of your knees (About 4 fingers width down from your knees)