How to stay up all night without coffee: TOP 10 ways

How to stay awake at night without drinking coffee

Rest is a basic human need. Therefore, it is not recommended to stay awake for a long period or experience lack of sleep. As a one-time act, being awake at night can pass without negative consequences for the body. But even 3-4 days in this mode can lead to severe exhaustion.

In order for night wakefulness to pass without negative consequences, it is important to follow the following rules:

at the first opportunity, immediately go to rest;
avoid too long periods without sleep;
do not practice them too often;
try to avoid physical and mental fatigue.

How you can achieve the effect of vivacity and recharge with vital energy without caffeine, so that it lasts for 8-10 hours - below we present you the best ways.

What happens if you don't sleep at night

We spend approximately a third of our lives sleeping. If the amount of sleep necessary for the body to restore energy is reduced, fatigue accumulates and nervousness occurs. This can lead to insomnia, which is quite difficult to get rid of.

This is because during sleep the body produces melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. If there is a deficiency, nightmares and insomnia are likely to occur. Sleep will be superficial, and the body's resources will not be replenished. Melatonin plays an important role in the body. He:

Regulates the activity of the thyroid gland;
Suspends the aging process;
Stimulates in the sexual sphere;
Regulates blood pressure, digestion, and brain cell function;
Helps to adapt to the process of changing time zones;
Has antioxidant properties.

Have you noticed that after a sleepless night it takes several days to recover? During a full-fledged deep sleep, our nervous system rests, the brain processes information received during the day. The functioning of organs and systems of our body is normalized. By disrupting your natural biorhythm, you will deprive yourself of the opportunity to be active and healthy.

If you don't sleep

Many of us have at least once in our lives had to stay up all night and then work. If you are young and healthy, then this may not harm your body. However, if you do not sleep the next night, this may lead to severe fatigue, deterioration of attention, and performance. Irritability occurs, there may be nervous laughter or causeless anger.

More than 2 nights without sleep can impair coordination, provoke lethargy, decreased vision, and illogical speech. Possible: nervous tic, nausea, vomiting.

If you don't sleep for 4-5 nights, your arms and legs begin to tremble. It becomes difficult to remember what happened a couple of hours ago. It is difficult to understand what a person who has not slept for a long time is saying.

After 5 days without sleep, the body will begin to experience severe stress, brain neurons will greatly slow down, and the heart muscle will wear out, resulting in pain. The immune system ceases to resist viruses, and the liver begins to experience greater stress.

There is a study: if you do not sleep for 7 days, a person will begin to behave strangely - he will give the impression that he is a drug addict. Few people will agree to such an experiment.

Some people may experience Alzheimer's disease syndromes, paranoid symptoms, and severe hallucinations.

The harm of insomnia

Lack of sleep affects our entire body. Heart function deteriorates, which can lead to hypertension - a persistent increase in blood pressure. There may also be a stroke - damage and death of nerve cells in the brain. Regular lack of sleep can lead to diabetes and obesity.

Appearance also suffers: the skin becomes dry, flabby, and its shade becomes earthy.

The eyes become red and watery. My hair splits, breaks, and begins to fall out.

When insomnia is prolonged, stress hormones are actively produced, preventing brain cells from renewing. This process can be compared to the effect of alcohol on the brain.

Some recommendations

If you notice that you have lack of sleep or insomnia, you should not start taking sleeping pills on your own. This can only harm the body or cause addiction, which will lead to an increase in the dose of sleeping pills - without pills it will be difficult to fall asleep on your own. Be sure to consult a doctor who will prescribe treatment;
If you were unable to rest at night, take about 30 minutes during the day to take a nap. This will give you a little boost of energy and improve your performance.
If you need to get behind the wheel, then first listen to your own well-being. If you understand that you need to rest, it is better to refrain from driving in this state.

Rest as much as you need to feel good. Quality sleep is the key to good health and good mood!

Ginseng tincture

An immune system stimulant and a powerful adaptogen is ginseng, a Far Eastern and Asian plant, the root of which is used to prepare pharmaceutical alcohol tinctures. Immediately after consuming ginseng tincture, the following processes occur in the body:

blood vessels become toned;
the production of cortisol is weakened;
heart rate increases;
metabolism is regulated.

The breakdown of fats and carbohydrates in the body is activated, due to which a reserve source of energy appears. Ginseng tincture must be dosed according to the instructions on the package. This method is prohibited for people with the following diseases and pathologies:

hypersensitivity;
oncological diseases;
hypertension.

For the rest, ginseng tincture will only benefit. However, you cannot overdose. You must use the product strictly according to the instructions, otherwise the effect may be the opposite.

Eleutherococcus infusion

Eleutherococcus senticosus is very similar in properties to ginseng. If you have plant materials at home, you can prepare an infusion of water yourself:

1 tablespoon of dry raw materials;
250 ml of boiling water.

Pour in and leave for 30-40 minutes. Drink warm, preferably with added sugar or honey. Glucose is needed as energy for the functioning of the nervous system. An alcohol tincture of this plant is sold in every pharmacy and has a low cost (about 7-8 times lower than ginseng tincture). It should be dosed according to the instructions. The list of indications is the same as for ginseng.

Tea with leaves of Schisandra chinensis

Schisandra chinensis is a rare but very beneficial plant for the body with the ability to tone. It contains active components that affect the rate of biochemical reactions in the body.

Due to its stimulating effect, Schisandra chinensis makes the nervous system work to the limit.

Effects of drinking tea with Schisandra chinensis leaves:

cheerfulness, a surge of vital energy for 8-10 hours;
increased concentration;
improvement of general well-being;
increased blood circulation.

It should be taken into account that Chinese Schisandra has a diuretic effect, so you need to take more fluid with it to prevent an imbalance of electrolytes in the body and avoid dehydration.

Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics

Sleep pills are classified as psychostimulant medications; they activate skeletal muscle tone and psychomotor function. Pharmacodynamics comes down to the presence of adaptogenic properties. This group of drugs stimulates the receptors of the central nervous system, the activity of the digestive organs, and the cardiovascular system.

For example, pantocrine consists of chemical compounds that resemble microelements in the body, so it is easily absorbed into tissues with minimal negative effects.

Amino acids normalize carbohydrate-protein metabolism.

Phospholipid structures restore ion exchange and restore the structure of cell biomembranes. Normalize enzymatic reactions.

The pharmacokinetics of psychostimulant drugs is characterized by fairly rapid absorption of the drugs. The maximum concentration of active substances in the blood serum is achieved from 1 hour 50 minutes to two and a half hours.

Such a parameter as the half-life has a wider range and varies from 4 to 5 to 15 hours in different drugs. Active metabolites are excreted mainly in the urine.

The effect of sleep pills lasts about two days from the moment of taking.

Echinacea tea

Echinacea purpurea is an invigorating, aromatic plant that has been used since ancient times instead of coffee as a powerful natural energy tonic. If a fresh plant grows in a flower garden, it is enough to brew 2-3 inflorescences in a cup. If not, then you can use dry herbal raw materials purchased at the pharmacy.

You can replace it with alcohol tincture of echinacea - add 1 teaspoon to tea or dilute with water and drink in small sips. It is advisable to drink echinacea before meals, as food interferes with the absorption of active substances.

Invigorating essential oils

Essential oils can powerfully change the body’s energy and influence a person’s condition even when used externally or inhaled vapors. To cheer up you need to choose the following essential oils:

tangerine;
orange;
fir;
rosemary;
ginger;
citronella;
eucalyptus.

You should avoid lavender and peppermint oils - on the contrary, they relax. Methods for toning:

bath with added oil;
aroma lamp;
temple massage with diluted oils;
oral administration (only for 100% oil without additives).

Before using aromatic oils for vigor, you need to make sure there are no contraindications or allergic reactions. The simplest test is to apply 1 drop of oil to your wrist and observe the body's reaction.

If the skin does not turn red within 20 minutes, you can use the product.

Activity to stay awake

Physical activity is an ideal, healthy way to survive even for a long time without full recuperation. But you need to remember moderation. If the level of activity is too high, overwork will occur and the body will, on the contrary, strongly signal the need for rest. Types of activities that are suitable for achieving night vigor:

jogging;
crossfit;
fitness;
aerobics.

Any physical activity that increases your heart rate is the best option. Swimming and excessive strength training with weights are not suitable for vigor. Swimming is overly relaxing and, on the contrary, deprives you of energy, and strength training will lead to fatigue, and as a result you will want to take a nap even more.

What not to do?

Many people, trying to overcome drowsiness and stay on their feet all day, resort to methods that can harm the body. Therefore, their use is not recommended.

These methods include:

Consumption of energy drinks. These drinks harm the nervous system and internal organs, in particular the heart, liver, kidneys, and stomach.
Using medications without a doctor's approval. Such remedies do more harm than good. After all, taking them causes a lot of side effects, for example, arrhythmia, migraine attacks and other unpleasant consequences.
Lots of coffee. A few cups of strong coffee will invigorate you, but this will negatively affect the nervous system and heart function. In addition, excessive amounts of the drink can lead to digestive problems.

Bright lighting

In the human body, different groups of hubbub are responsible for everything. In order not to suffer from fatigue and not to drink coffee, you should suppress the production of the hormone melatonin, which is responsible for falling asleep. This can be done in two ways - by avoiding darkness, which stimulates its production, and by using stress.

It’s quite easy to come up with an artificial stressful situation - this will help slow down the production of sleep hormones. If you organize the brightest possible lighting, your chances of feeling cheerful for a long time will increase significantly.

How to fight sleep at night. How can you overcome sleep?

Each of us has been in a situation where monotonous work makes us sleepy. A few tips on how to quickly get rid of fatigue and sleep will help you cope with dozing. You will not see recommendations on how to overcome sleep with the help of coffee, proper sleep, meditation and complex physical exercises. Only simple and accessible ways to focus on work, cheer up and fight off drowsiness

How to get rid of sleep

Sour taste .
Keep a bag of sour-flavored sweets with you and whenever you feel tired and sleepy, pop one in your mouth. The sour taste drives away sleep. Chewing gum . The fresh scent of mint makes your eyes open. In addition, chewing gum increases the ability to concentrate. Bright light . The darker the room, the more we are tempted to close our eyes. Sit near a window, allowing natural light to invigorate you, or, at night, turn on all the lights in the room. Working in bed. You will not be able to overcome fatigue and sleep if you are in bed and wrapped in a soft blanket. Sit on a chair and keep your spine straight. Drink plenty of water and fresh juices. Dehydration increases fatigue and the desire to nap. Drink plenty of water or fresh orange, apple, or lemon juice. On the one hand, this prevents dehydration, on the other hand, fresh juices will help speed up sleep. Pain will help overcome sleep. If other methods fail, give yourself a good pinch. It may seem strange, but the pain will wake you up. Stand up and stretch. If you can afford it, walk in place or jump 10 times. If you can’t make noise, then just stretch your arms and neck properly. Watch a funny video
or think about a funny situation. If you are at home, watch a video that always makes you laugh, and if you are at a lecture or at work, remember a funny story. Of course, you need to do this in such a way as not to laugh out loud. Brush your teeth. When your strength is running low, go brush your teeth. The taste of menthol and a change of environment will restore vigor. Talk to someone. Take a break and talk to a friend, family member or colleague. If you can't do this in person, call someone on the phone. Surely among your friends there is someone who likes to work at night, chat with him and, at the same time, drive away sleep and fatigue. Listen to music . You work late, you can’t talk to anyone, you’ve run out of toothpaste and candy. Turn on dynamic, invigorating music and listen to a few songs. In this way you can drive away sleep and restore vigor. Just don't forget about headphones. Take a walk outside. Go to the store and buy some fruit. After a walk, you will feel a surge of energy, efficiency and increased concentration. Low temperature and water procedures. To open your eyes, you need to wash your face with cold water or exfoliate. Cleansing not only stimulates skin cells, but also “stirs up” the entire body. Also, lower the temperature in the room where you are. The warmth makes you sleepy. Move your arms or legs. During routine activities, the whole body becomes numb and you begin to feel sleepy. Tighten your legs and arms, make light shaking movements. If you are the center of attention and unnecessary movements are undesirable, cross and tense your legs under the table. Change your activities to kill boredom. If you do the same thing for a long time, the routine will definitely cause boredom and thoughts about sleep will become inevitable. If you feel yourself starting to fall asleep during lectures, take a break. Browse interesting material or read your favorite summary on a completely different topic. Solving problems in higher mathematics will instantly chase away sleep during a philosophy lecture. Sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. Constant movements of your hands and mouth will help you concentrate and drive away sleep. Set an alarm that will ring every 10-15 minutes. If you're tired and starting to fall asleep, the bell will keep you awake. Place your alarm clock or cell phone far away so that you have to get up to turn it off. If all else fails and you can't fight sleep, take a nap for 15-25 minutes, but no more. A short nap will refresh you and restore your performance.

Cold and hot shower

A refreshing remedy that will help you last longer without sleep is a contrast shower. Due to alternating exposure to low and high temperatures, the following effects are achieved:

blood vessels are toned;
blood circulation is stimulated;
blood supply to the brain and other tissues and organs improves.

In response to cold, the brain triggers a reaction to produce thermal energy, which allows you to feel alert and not fall asleep. The only drawback of this method is that the effect does not last long. In order to stay awake for 7-8 hours, you will have to repeat the procedure, since fatigue will periodically remind you of itself. You can combine taking a contrast shower with other methods.

How to get rid of sleep at night. Cheat biorhythms

The fight against sleep at work is carried out with varying degrees of success.
The situation when during the day the eyelids become heavy, the eyes stick together and thoughts wander is understandable from a physiological point of view. The alternation of sleep and wakefulness is inherent in nature in the form of biological rhythms. Efficiency is ensured by the flow of stimulating hormones into the blood. Then the concentration drops, and the inhibitory neurotransmitters allow the brain to rest. When working from 9.00 to 18.00, sleep comes at 10, 14, 18 and 22 hours. Anyone who has struggled with this condition has noticed an increase in drowsiness after their lunch break. There is also a 90-minute cycle, during which concentration on the action being performed increases, then decreases to a minimum. It's difficult to outwit biorhythms, but there are harmless ways to cheer up and avoid dozing off at work.

Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is coffee.

Among the banal advice, the first place is taken by the offer to drink coffee or tea. This helps with a sudden desire to sleep. Caffeine in tea and coffee increases performance and stimulates brain function. The flow of fresh air from an open window provides the oxygen the body needs. The proposed methods are easy to apply without compromising your health and work process.

What is the best way to stay awake?

Vote for the option that helps you the best, or for the one that doesn't help you at all. You can give 5

Dehydration during work or rest hours makes you want to take a nap. An adult requires 30-40 ml of fluid per 1 kg of body weight. To avoid feeling sleepy, drink water, juice or tea regularly, and not just when you feel thirsty. Going to the bathroom gives you the opportunity to move more often than usual. While working, you can visit your colleagues in the next office, run up or down the stairs, after which sleep disappears.

Breathing exercises

Among the Eastern practices that affect the body, there are those that truly change the functioning of individual organs and act no worse than pharmaceutical stimulants. One of these breathing practices will help disperse drowsiness and experience filling with vital energy for a long period of time.

Technique:

Stand up straight, straighten your shoulders as much as possible;
Take three sharp breaths and three equally sharp exhalations;
Inhale slowly through your nose, hold your breath;
Release the air slowly too;
A minute of rest and relaxation;
Repeat.

It is necessary to repeat up to 10 times, but if during the process you experience dizziness or a feeling of pulsation in the head, you must immediately stop doing the exercise. Breathing exercises affect blood pressure and are contraindicated for both hypertensive patients and people with hypotension.

bitter chocolate

Cocoa beans contain a small amount of caffeine, so it can also be used as a stimulant, replacing black coffee. But it is important that the product meets the following requirements:

contained at least 60% cocoa;
was absolutely natural;
did not contain preservatives or additives.

You can replace the product with a cup of hot, natural chocolate or drinks based on it. This product contains not only caffeine, which stimulates brain activity, but also “fuel” for the productive functioning of the entire nervous system - glucose, magnesium, fatty acids, B vitamins and flavonoids.

Thanks to the consumption of chocolate, brain perfusion improves, which means it receives not only a powerful stimulating boost, but also all the necessary substances for full functioning. Chocolate is many times safer than coffee and at the same time much more effective if you need to achieve vigor.

How to stay awake if you really want to: 23 ways

Modern insomnia, with its extracurricular work and late-night TV series viewing, is certainly harmful. But sometimes there is an excessive amount of work and all of it is urgent. How to survive a whole night of work? It’s worth warning right away that no one knows how to stay awake all night and be alert all day, and no such method exists. But how to stay awake when exams or a project is due very soon, many ways have been invented.

What not to do

Eat at night. Especially heavy foods. This isn't particularly useful at all, but before a sleepless night at work it's killer. Therefore, we are preparing for work without any chips, fried foods, fast carbohydrates, sour cream and other fatty foods;
Work while lying on the couch.
Well, how can you not fall asleep when there are soft pillows, a mattress and blankets under your nose? Your instincts will definitely get the better of you here. So, when preparing for a night of work, choose a table and chair. There definitely shouldn’t be any comfort, but there’s no need to feel numb either;
Listen to your favorite and familiar music. As if sleep will overcome you. The exception is your favorite songs that you associate with the most extreme and difficult periods of your life;
Switch off the light. You understand that it is much better to sleep in the dark. Therefore, if the light annoys you, let it continue to burn. If you have a desk lamp, let it shine in your face;
Use anything that distracts you. This could be a photo of children or a lover, a house plant, or your favorite beer. Most likely, you will sit up half the night meditating on them and then fall asleep. It’s better to put something in front of you that reminds you of work: let it be a record book, an agreement to submit an assignment, a watch, finally;
Play computer games. Again, they are more tiring than work. Therefore, no solitaire with chess;
It's stuffy. If it’s hot and you can’t breathe, don’t be afraid to take a walk or go out onto the balcony. It’s good if you can open not only the windows in the room, but also the balconies;
Alcohol. It may give you inspiration sometimes, but more often than not it makes you want to sleep.

Simple methods
Most of them help produce additional amounts of adrenaline, which definitely won’t let you sleep. The advantage is that simple methods will not harm the heart and brain, in addition, they can bring some benefits to the body, and can also give you energy during the day.

Seeds. Nothing funny, because they contain a lot of healthy fats. But it’s better to eat them a little at a time;
Breathing exercises. We inhale normally, exhale accentuated and sharply. This kind of breathing is called kapalabhati and it is very invigorating;
Wash your hands. Especially the wrists and the coldest water.
Chocolate, candied peanuts, marshmallows, caramel. And it’s okay that these are fast carbohydrates, because sweets are also endorphins. Sweet peanuts are especially good: eat one nut every few minutes and the night will not seem so long and tiring. Chewing gum with menthol is no less good, because it provokes the production of insulin, which perfectly improves tone. If you really want to eat, eat something with protein;
Give yourself a massage. Pay attention to the top of the head, earlobes and the back of the head; massage of the points between the index and thumbs and the area under the knees raises the tone. You can also tickle your palate with your tongue;
Aroma oils. Your friends for this night are rosemary, orange, eucalyptus, grapefruit, mint, pine aromas. They can be in the bed linen, in the aroma lamp, in the pendant, and even in the water for washing the floors... But what if you are so sleepy, you can wash the floor... No oils - smell the coffee.
Water. It would be good to drink more of it. And it's good if it's warm. If it burns the larynx and stomach, this is ideal. So don't forget about coffee. And if you combine it with diuretics, you definitely won’t be able to sleep. Masochism, but when there is a lot of work or an exam is very soon, it is permissible. A good option is to drink coffee and doze off for a quarter of an hour. But no more.
Herbal infusions. It depends on which herb helps you. It could be ginseng, chamomile, or licorice. The main thing is that the infusion must be warm!
Spices. Their aroma alone is invigorating. And if you have horseradish or ginger and grate it... Hot pepper, mustard, and thermonuclear adjika will suit you.
We don't eat anything. Hunger is quite capable of helping you last the whole night and prepare for your exam or test.

What else can you do?

Next come the moderate methods.
Walk on the balcony. If possible, on the roof: height, cold, extreme sports and fresh air will lift even the heaviest eyelids.

Online dispute, trolling. This type of entertainment is beloved by everyone. Hone your art of trolling and arguing, and also know that it improves brain function, drives adrenaline, and also increases blood pressure. If you control yourself and don't let your emotions overwhelm you, such an argument will help you last the whole night. But remember that this is not your goal, but the completion of the task for which you gave up much-needed sleep. If there is no Internet, TV, print media, and radio will do. Just find an exciting topic and argue with an imaginary opponent. No, this is not schizophrenia.

Sport. No, it makes no sense to go to the sports ground or fitness club in the middle of the night. We just turn on the broadcast of the match. The main thing is to listen, not watch. If you have turned on the online broadcast, minimize the window and listen again. A radio will also do. You can listen not only to football, but also to horse racing. You can even place a small bet. You definitely won't fall asleep until it's over. However, physical education will also be appropriate. Push-ups, horizontal bar, abs: anything that invigorates you is suitable. This will perfectly relieve mental fatigue.

Chemical stimulants

Yes, they kill the heart, but once you can.
A good option is a jaguar. But the burn is no good. But the canonical combination of cola with coffee and succinic acid will be tastier and not so deadly harmful. A combination of cream soda and hawthorn, mineral water with honey and lemon is suitable; it is better to drink coffee with lemon water and sweets.

Play with your alarm clock

We turn it on for one hour, work and wait for it to ring. Let's start again. So all night.

Fear

This is a very deplorable method for the psyche. You can watch short horror films, read scary stories, think that someone is watching you, and also disturb your phobias with the help of appropriate photos. But over time the psyche gets used to it.

If you’re used to it, move on to the most hardcore methods

Heavy artillery

Stimulants. These include any medications that have side effects such as insomnia, anxiety, and increased blood pressure. Eleutheracoccus, phenotropil, doppelhertz... Again, only you are responsible for your heart. If you are hypertensive, don't even touch them.
Pain. Try pricking yourself with a medical needle. It's better to prick your finger. You definitely won't want to sleep anymore. But just let there be cotton wool nearby and the needle sterile. If you are an extreme sports fan, you can cut yourself with a knife and even burn your skin or hit yourself with nettles. Sometimes even the thought of such actions can wake you up.
Shame. Remember the biggest shame in your life. In all details, having felt approximately the same as at that moment, scroll through it all in your head... And nothing more is needed. It's just not easy to do this.
Call an unfamiliar number at three in the morning? The last time you played around on the phone was in seventh grade? Do you know how much adrenaline it is! Of course, you will hear no less threats, and besides, they might find you! Another turn of events is also possible, because a cute object of the opposite sex can answer you, who is also puzzled by how not to fall asleep if you really want to...
Place a bag over your head. But only for a very short time and don’t suffocate! This is also a dangerous method.
Don't go to the toilet. Even if you already want it unbearably. Be patient and you definitely won’t fall asleep. It is especially effective if you have already drunk a lot of coffee, stimulants or herbal infusions...
Listen to harsh and loud music. And it's better with headphones.