How to Pull An All-Nighter
With exams around the corner and the days becoming shorter, many students struggle to find the time to study or finish all of their homework. So in order to catch up on everything they’ve missed, they resort to pulling an all-nighter. It’s not the healthiest option, but sometimes it’s necessary. Here are a few quick tips for successfully pulling it off.
Manage Your Chamber of Study
In order to stay bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, you’ll need to keep your room brightly lit. According to the National Sleep Foundation, darkness produces melatonin, the hormone that makes us tired, so avoiding dark rooms will help prevent exhaustion early in the night.
Don’t let yourself get too comfortable, or you may be lulled to sleep. In order to stay alert, a change of scenery may be necessary throughout the night. Once things start to get stale you’ll need to find a new area to study in. After a few hours studying in your bedroom, try working in the living room or kitchen to spice things up.
Your Body is a Temple
Unlike electronics, humans can’t recharge with a cord. Our power systems require maintenance, and once you’ve decided to pull an all-nighter your battery will die quickly. In order to manage your body’s reaction to sleep deprivation, you will need to take some precautions to keep yourself awake and working.
To start the night, take a nap to recharge and improve your mood. Studies from Paris Descartes University show that the optimum nap time is 10 to 15 minutes, as your mind will become more alert and suffer from fewer side effects of sleep deprivation.
As the night goes on, you will battle drowsiness. If taking a nap doesn’t help, try exercising. According to a study from the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, taking a 20-minute break every few hours to exercise can keep you energized. If heavy exercise isn’t your forte, that’s okay. Light exercise like walking around the neighborhood or doing some yoga poses will have the same effect.
Arm Yourself with Sustenance
If you think coffee and other highly caffeinated drinks are the key to a successful all-nighter, think again. Caffeine is often the downfall of students attempting marathon study sessions. Drinking too much coffee might keep you up for a little while, but is a surefire way to crash and burn in the long run. The best tip for staying awake is to avoid caffeine. Instead of chugging cappuccinos, try ice water.
That being said, you don’t need to cut caffeine out completely. If you just have one or two cups of coffee throughout the night, with ice water thrown in between each cup, the crash will be less detrimental.
Since you’re staying up all night, you’re definitely prone to getting the late night munchies. Avoid obvious go-to snacks like candy and other sweets, which will result in another crash. Light proteins like beef jerky, goat cheese, fruit or yogurt will get you through the night.
