Many people tend to compromise with their necessary 8 hour sleep, be it a long night of partying with friends or taking care of newly born or for any other reason. The struggle starts the next morning when you have to reach for work or do the household work. In such scenarios, your body tends to feel sleepy and lethargic. The sleepiness can affect your work efficiency and ability to pay attention to major to things happening around thereby ruining your entire day. You can easily fight such situations by taking some measures to bid goodbye to sleepiness. Read on to learn some simple techniques of staying awake .
Complexity Level: Moderate
Time Required: 15-20 Minutes
Resources Required:
- Caffeine
- Snacks
- Chewing gums
Instructions:
1. Smell a strong scent
Certain scents are known to make you alert reducing fatigue by stimulating the nervous system. All you need to do is to take a strong whiff of the scent to keep sleep at bay. This technique works instantly and helps you stay awake for long. You can do this as many times as you want. If you do not have these essential oils at home, you can use any other strong smell from burning candles, perfumes, incense sticks ,etc.
2. Try acupressure
Acupressure is a good way of staying awake, you will be able to ease fatigue and also improve the blood circulation by doing acupressure. It is basically massaging of certain points of the body like top of the head, backside of neck, area between thumb and index finger, earlobes, etc. Learn some basic acupressure tips and tricks so as to use them to keep sleep away. Acupressure will not only awaken you but also help you with other matters related to your health.
3. Expose yourself to high intensity light
Expose your eyes to a very strong light this will make you alert instantly. In absence of sunlight just look at a high intensity artificial light. Bright surrounding makes you less sleepy as compared to dull lighting. A 3-5 minute exposure to such a light is more than sufficient as it will make your body completely alert and awake.
4. Go for a power nap
Take a quick power nap for 15-20 minutes. This will increase your alertness level and make you feel fresh. Try to have a cup of coffee before going to sleep, this will make you feel very fresh when you wake up. A good power nap can help you stay awake for long without making you feel sleepy.
5. Stay uncomfortable
Do not let your body be in a comfortable position, as a comfortable position makes you sleepy automatically. Stay uncomfortable, sit on a chair instead of comfortable sofa, try to stand for as long as you can. Make sure that your head is not resting on any surface like a wall, desk or even hands.
6. Do not overeat
Avoid having a full stomach as that will make you sleepy automatically. Avoid having big meals, rely on small snacks all through the day. Recommended foods to keep sleep at bay are apples, sunflower seeds, raisins, etc. Eat light foods and do not binge.
7. Divert yourself
Divert yourself from feeling sleepy by listening to some music, try to get yourself dancing to the music. Do not listen to slow music as that will act like a lullaby. Try doing some physical activity like jumping, push-ups, jogging or simply walking around. You can also chew gum to stay awake.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What foods can help in staying awake?
You can consume foods like coffee, apple, salads, etc. to stay awake. Chewing gum will also be very helpful. Try munching some light snacks. Do not consume heavy food as a full stomach will make you all the more sleepy.
Quick Tips:
- Wash your face with cold water, the chill will bid your sleepiness away instantly.
- Drink a glass of ice cold water or other drink.
Things To Watch Out For:
- Do not consume too much of caffeine.
- Do not drive if you are too sleepy, it can be dangerous.