10 Ways To Stay Awake At Work After A Sleepless Night

Did you pull an all-nighter because you were finishing a presentation? Or did your neighbor keep on shrieking into that microphone until 3 a.m.? Whatever it was, you couldn’t get enough sleep, and now you’re wondering how you’re going to make it out alive for the rest of the day at the office. If it can’t be avoided, there are still ways to stay awake and alert in the office, at least for that day alone.

Just like going into a battlefield, in order for you to survive, you need a good strategy. Here are 10 ways you can amplify your energy and boost your brain power. Just follow these easy steps. (But of course, we don’t recommend that you do this all the time)

1. Stay Hydrated

One way to keep those eyes from shutting is to keep yourself hydrated. Meaning drink lots of water, ideally, 8 glasses throughout the day. Being dehydrated adds to your fatigue and makes you sleepy.

However, don’t drink energy drinks! They might get you a quick fix to stay awake, but as soon as the high (and the buzz) dies off, you’ll feel the crash and be more tired than you were in the first place.

2. Eat Well (And Don’t Binge On Sugar!)

While you might think stacking your system up with sugar will keep you awake the whole day, it doesn’t. It will only give you a momentary boost, but like energy drinks, as soon as it dies down, you will feel sluggish, more tired, and sleepy. It’s best to eat energy-boosting food like eggs, fish, leafy greens, beans and nuts.

3. Drink Coffee

Before you head out to work and when you arrive in the office, drink your daily dose of steaming hot brew. Caffeine can help kick-start your energy, and boost your memory too! Don’t overload on it though because it might give you a headache, and if you drink to much, you’ll suffer from a caffeine crash.

Also, don’t drink coffee late in the afternoon if you’re planning on sleeping early that night. Caffeine stays in your body for about 5 hours, and if you’re body is still brimming with energy because of the caffeine by bedtime, you’re not going to get the restful sleep you need. There are many alternative to coffee which you can consume for the healthy energy boost but without the side effects of caffeine.

4. Turn up the AC

A warm stuffy environment will accelerate mental fatigue, so putting the air-conditioning on high will help you from shutting your eyes.

The reason why the cold helps us stay awake is that our body responds to it and is working to keep us warm. It will do everything in its might to regulate the body temperature so to keep our internal organs functioning.

6. Listen to music

Spotify playlist on set. Headphones plugged. Press play.

Listening to your favorite tunes helps stimulate your brain making you feel more alive. You can either hum, sing along, or maybe dance to the beat. Don’t worry if you’re out of tune — your officemates will understand. Well, maybe.

7. Get a little sunlight

Trick your body into believing it should be awake when it feels tired by soaking yourself in the sun. Not only that, the sun will help get your circulation going and help you feel more energized throughout the day. Go for a quick walk outside, get some air, and just savor the heat after being chilled inside the office.

8. Take a power nap

Big companies like Google, Procter & Gamble, and Huffington Post allow their employees to get a little shuteye while in the office (they even have sleeping pods!). This is because a 15-20 minute rest can actually increase your alertness by a mile!

Take a nap during your lunch break or sometime between 1 to 3 in the afternoon. You’ll feel fully alive afterwards.

9. Get moving

All you have to do here is get your body to move. You can walk around, do some wall push-ups, or perhaps a little bit of jumping jacks. You’d be surprised how many mini-workouts you can do at the office. The important thing is just to get your blood flowing, and give your brain some oxygen.

10. Sleep early

So you’ve made it through the day alive! You must be so proud. Now, the next step is to sleep early to make up for the lack of sleep you had the night before.

Bonus: take a warm shower an hour before dozing off. The rise in temperature and cooling off will quickly knock you out. Or if not, a hot shower just sounds like a good idea.

Lack of sleep is never healthy, so try to avoid this episode from happening and get a proper 8 hours of sleep. Always. For your daily dose of career advice, follow Kalibrr on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.