There are times in our life where we need to stay awake for long durations which could be due to some exceptional events taking place the next day or probably we are going through a phase which doesn't allow us to sleep or forces to sleep less like an exam session, multiple meetings or other public events that run for days. On such occasions we need to control our sleeping habits very strictly & failing to do will lead to expected failure & disappointment, so now the question is
how to stay awake for 24 hours?
Is it even possible?
The answer, in short, is YES but saying that we must keep in mind that staying awake for 24 long hours or even more is all about "will power" to achieve your targets & staying disciplined by following a well-planned schedule. If you have specific goals in your mind & desperate to achieve them then your mind will automatically reach the hyper-alert mode that will ensure you don't rest or calm down until everything is conquered.
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So the first thing you need to do is remind yourself the target you are aiming if in any case you are losing the focus then most likely you will get into the cozy zone where you would try to leave all the activities to relax & might end up taking a good sleep which I am sure you don't want that to happen.
It is advisable from doctors that you take such initiative only for a short period (for example 3-4 weeks at max). , continuing to sleeping less for more than that will adversely impact your health & potentially lead to many harmful defects both mentally & physically, therefore you must take care of yourself.
1. Visualization
This is the first & most important step you need to take which was mentioned earlier - reminding yourself the targets & realizing them. By doing so you will become conscious & that's the primary reason for having an active mind.
This is very beneficial for students or people who are attending an interview/meeting, you analyse the processes that you will be going through & based on that prepare some extra hours which will add to your confidence.
2. Proper Nutrition
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| Good nutrition makes a big difference everywhere |
- No simple sugar intake
Simple sugar could be found in Soft drinks, Honey etc. They include the simple carbohydrate which makes you more sleepy. Initially, you may get a sudden boost but after an hour it disappears & makes you feel drowsy.
- Avoid Fast Food
Fast food has a similar consequence just like the simple sugar intake so avoiding consumption of any fast food is important.
- Take good levels of protein
A protein-rich food is ideal to boost up your chances to remain energized for a long time. Egg white is a good example of protein-rich food. Also, apple as fruit is recommended in this case which helps in maintaining the activeness.
- Reducing Dairy product intake
It is recommended that you reduce the dairy food like milk, curd etc because they can make you tired quickly & it is a medically proven fact.
- Take complex carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates are ideal over simple carbohydrates. You could eat simple food like Corn, Rice, Beans, Lentils and etc which contains a good amount of complex carbohydrates.
3. Use of Caffeine
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| The most popular way of staying awake |
To beat the sleep it is well known that caffeine is ever reliable. People from a long time using this strategy because of its effectiveness. Tea & Coffee are popular to meet the caffeine demands required to keep us active. Again you must be careful that you don't over-consume & continue taking large amounts for months otherwise the symptoms of overdosage (CAFFEINE) will start appearing which is a negative sign for poor health & could be contagious for the whole body.
4-5 cups of coffee generally is the max. limit, going over this mark is considered as toxic.
When you take coffee must pay attention that you don't consume energy drink like red bull, the combination of energy drinks + coffee is highly toxic so be aware.
This is a must-do for you to not fall asleep because being static for a long time will make you feel more sleepy. When you do something that suddenly increases your heartbeat then that will break that drowsy nature which is enough to keep you awake. You need to take breaks basically after every 30 minutes if you are sitting at one place because when we remain at the same state( Static) then its inevitable for us to feel sleepy so you can do some exercise or any activity for 1-2 minute that suddenly sparks awareness.
- Do a few push-ups to pump up your heart rate
- Quick running also has the same impact as the push-up
- Walk fast / use the stairs etc.
5. Give yourself a gift after achieving small targets
You can appreciate your own efforts once you achieve the small targets to keep yourself happy which will lift your spirits to keep going. You can do so by watching something you like or eating particular food (be careful it doesn't contain the simple sugar as it increases sleep).
6. Living in a well-lighted area
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| More lights mean difficult to sleep |
The lighting of the area is one of the major factors that decide how long you can stay active. If you are in a dimly lighted space where things are not illuminated then the chances of falling asleep increases. Therefore maintain good lighting where you are staying or working which will surely work to remain awake for longer hours.
7. Gaming
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| Gaming is a strong option for not falling asleep |
Those who love gaming & have a real desire to keep playing without breaking a sweat then it is one of the best choices to keep yourself awake but remember if you are planning to get ready for an exam or any meeting then this will probably not work as you have to concentrate on your preparations to facing that challenge instead of keeping yourself distracted by playing games.
Games like Counter-Strike are very popular which can help you spend the whole night with no trouble but again only thing remember is that you have to be a gaming addict (at least to some extent)
*** Power naps
Remember this is not for snooze type of people who keep snoozing their set alarms, if you want to take a quick nap for about 10 - 30 minutes then there must be a guarantee that you will wake up within the set time otherwise you are bound to fall in major trouble. To keep yourself safe you can take the advantage of power naps when there is someone around who can wake you up like your friend /colleague/family member, their presence will assure that you are on time & help you achieve your sleeping targets.
You might question why power naps are mentioned in this section which is about staying awake the whole 24 hours, remember power naps are more like boosting your energy/recharging without consuming anything so 10 - 30 minutes break from all the activities after a hectic session of work will only help in staying active for a much longer period.
Relaxing music will only lead you towards sleeping so if you like listening to music & activate your mind then you can listen to some high-intensity music that uplifts your spirits. Nowadays there is all kind of music genres from EDMs to Intense Orchestral Music which could spark your mind to get motivated.
9. Use of a wet cloth
Using a wet cloth which is rinsed in lukewarm water to rub your face gently, it is considered as an effective way of providing that freshness but not something which gets you in the sleepy mode. Gentle warm temperature helps you break the lingering drowsy feeling & ignites the active zone of our mind. Be careful that you don't use cold water in place of lukewarm water because that will work against your hopes of staying awake.
10. Surrounding Temperature
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| The room temperature should be a little warmer |
Just like gentle warm water is good for keeping you active similarly a warmer room temperature will help in not falling asleep. Now, this is a proven fact that if you stay in a cooler place, you can feel cozy & very relaxed which forces you to just close your eyes & sleep. If you want this not to happen with you then you better keep the room temperature around mid to high 20s deg. celsius & this will assure that you are more active.
Practising the above steps will certainly help you control your sleep but careful how you plan schedule because anyhow rest is very important. We must drag our body so much that we fall ill in the process so precautions are necessary.
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