What's your cure for the dreaded "falling asleep"?

[-JC-]

Currently, I have been lazing around generally doing nothing. I've dropped out of uni recently, see, and now I've taken it upon myself to enjoy my limited time remaining of social freedom to do some completely and utterly random stuff to fill my spare time.

 

One thing I am currently trying is to stay awake for as long as possible, as my housemates are doing the same (though they're actually slaving away at coursework). They favour the infamous energy drink method, buying copious amounts (50+ empties in one person's room alone) of imitation Red Bull known as Red Rooster, available from our local Co-Op for 99p a litre.

 

I however, am currently finding success, though also some what of an ill side effect, in drinking what I like to call "ultra mocha". 8 tablespoons of instant coffee, 6 of instant hot chocolate and 4 of plain white sugar topped up with enough hot water to just make it liquid enough to drink.

 

I'm sure there's plenty of people here, whether they are uni students doing all nighters or people staying up to watch a late night sports event, that have tried to stay awake by artificial means. I was just wondering which is the preferred method!

[bmoose]

Do some post midnight exercise, some situps or pushups, something small that won't tire you but will get your blood pumping. I would say eat a LOT of food but that kinda counteracts what I previously said.

 

Also, DO NOT WATCH TV. If you are going to make sure you are doing something active also, like playing a game or talking to friends online or something otherwise you will start to get real tired. Don't lie down either, always a bad mistake. If I think of more I will say.

[Caris]

Eating makes you tired so dont do that... Have a shower, wash your face listen to some music loud, drink coffie red bull etc.

[gaggle64]

Drink lots of hot, mild tea, go for the occasional stroll around the block and blast upbeat pop n rock into your lug holes.

[harribo]

I know its been said don't eat but the other day I was falling to sleep then ate a tub of this

and t woke me up.

[weeyellowbloke]

Stand on your head, works for me on all night work benders.

[Ginger_Chris]

a carton of orange juice a few hours befoer you need to start work for slow release. supplement that with relentless and chocolate when you start work, then on a coffee/relentless sugar type diet for the next few hours. you should start feeling tired sometime the next afternoon. That means you can fit in the morning lectures and a tutorial. before sleep time.

[Guest Jordan]

Any form of excerise or just going out for a walk helps me.

If not, stay in and play a super exciting game.

 

I played Crackdown from 3am > 7am because of that.

[jayseven]

exercise helps as it's active. You need to keep doing things that keep your brain awake - computer games are good if not SERIOUSLY good - you must know what it's like when you just cannot put a game down.

 

Setting yourself a mission always helps - like watching all the star wars films, or the entire tarantino collection, y'know?

 

.. have fun. The longest I've stayed awake is only around 40 hours. When you have an entire day to sleep afterwards it feels really rewarding.

[harribo]

Longest time I went without sleep was from about 12 on a Sunday to about 3am on the Tuesday.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Eating makes you tired so dont do that... Have a shower, wash your face listen to some music loud, drink coffie red bull etc.

 

I'm not sure if I agree with you on the eating part. I think eating massive meals makes you tired, but having small snacks can act as energy, in a way. It works for me anyway. Chocolate!

 

I agree with you about showers. If I've had a rough day and I need to psyche myself up for later, a shower is what I usually do first.

 

Others have said do things that keep you active. If you do this, it also passes the time quicker. "Time flies when you're enjoying yourself". Just do something you can get engrossed in, something you know that'll get YOU interested. If it's computer games, then try that. It could also be books, talking to people, going out for walks, anything really.

[Blackfox]

Haha, i bet your heart loves you!

 

I tend to just sleep, minimally, and nap. That way I can socialise and rest. Naps are King.

[LukeLee]

Naps are King.

 

Agreed!

 

The best method is to find something that stimulates your mind, if you really get into something you'll not even notice the time. A few times i've been playing world of warcraft and suddenly it's 5am out of nowhere.

[Platty]

The only thing that keeps me from going to sleep is Football Manager 2007.

[Jasper]

Don't drink cofee in the morning is the first rule. Coffee just changes the time you need to sleep. Drink a cup in the evening to postpone the moment you have toi crawl in bed. A nap of an hour or so - not longer - is perfect to keep you focused all day. Don't sleep long in the mornings, go to bed earlier. If you sleep untill noon when you're used to getting up at, say eight in the morning, than it's not good. You'll have to much useless sleep. You need to have an hour you get up on every day, wich makes your body adopt to it. Going to sleep earlier than usual is no problem, postpone the moment with coffee - not redbull.

 

Now that's what you get from reading scientific articles in magazines.

[Monopolyman]

Create spasms in your foot. That helps.

[Kurtle Squad]

Being active and washing makes you awake. Anything that gets your adreneline going (i.e. Excite Truck instead of FF:heh:)

[EEVILMURRAY]

The only thing that keeps me from going to sleep is Football Manager 2007.

That would put me in a coma in 5 seconds flat.

 

I wouldn't recommend following Platty's advice.

[The Bard]

I try to encourage myself falling asleep. It's soothing, and it's quite frankly the only respite I get from this shitfest ye call life.

[ipaul]

I always found going on flights help kept me awake but you cant use that.....just have a consistent amount of energy drinks throughout the night and coffee i suppose. While we're on this whats the longest anyones ever stayed awake? I believe mine is 41 hours...

[4q2]

Dont do stimulants like coffee and taurine....They burn you out a lot quicker than people think after the initial up. Take a walk, get some fresh air, that usually works for me.

[MoogleViper]

Just stay in a position that isn't particularly comofrtable to sleep in. If you are sat upright on a hard chair you aren't going to fall asleep very easily. But if you're slumped on the settee you'll be off in seconds.

[Supergrunch]

a carton of orange juice a few hours befoer you need to start work for slow release. supplement that with relentless and chocolate when you start work, then on a coffee/relentless sugar type diet for the next few hours. you should start feeling tired sometime the next afternoon. That means you can fit in the morning lectures and a tutorial. before sleep time.

That reminds me of what my maths teacher said he did when he was at Cambridge- he worked through the night, went to his morning lectures and tutorials, then slept through the day. He says he liked the night because it was cool.

[4q2]

That reminds me of what my maths teacher said he did when he was at Cambridge- he worked through the night, went to his morning lectures and tutorials, then slept through the day. He says he liked the night because it was cool.

 

I can relate to that, Always preferred night to daytime, the only reason I exist in the day is to go to work.

[triforcemario]

A) Play either Morrowind or Oblivion.

B) Have a 30 second wank. Yes, it is possible, it doesn't make you tired, and it wakes you up like nothing else.