Ever experienced a bout of microsleep during a lecture or boardroom meeting and woke up a few seconds later to find a beautiful line drawn straight down your notepad? Sound familiar? I’ve had my fair share of those during my college days. Try as you might, it’s almost impossible to resist that 3-second snooze, only to wake up and realize that the professor teaching the class is staring right into your eyes. Making it through a typical work/college day is tiring business, and it’s understandable that a much desired afternoon nap would do wonders for you (lucky Spaniards and their siesta! But perhaps their tradition is also disappearing in today’s hectic world?).Nevertheless, repeatedly nodding away in class or at work and getting caught while doing so would certainly make for some rather embarrassing moments (particularly if your professor/boss is a A-hole of a personality). So if you’re about to sit down for a long (boring) lecture, there are some things you can do to keep yourself awake. Coffee is an obvious solution for many, though caffeine, being a diuretic, also tends to make you pee often… which is hardly ideal if you need to sit still for a long time. So before you chug down that grande-sized Starbucks coffee, try a gulp of cold water instead… it helps. Avoiding a heavy meal would also do much to prevent midday sleepiness, so all-you-can-eat buffets for lunch is out of the question. If you still find yourself about to doze off, try sitting up straight, stretching a little, and taking a few deep breaths. As a last resort, you could try poking yourself with a mechanical pencil… though the author hereby accepts no responsibility for any injuries incurred. Oh yes, last but not least, a good night’s sleep the day before couldn’t possibly hurt.
Staying Awake 101:
1) Rest well the night before (at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep)
2) Drink lots of water
3) Caffeine fix (e.g. coffee, strong tea, colas)
4) Avoid heavy meals, especially those high in sugars or meat
5) Walking about, stretching, to get your blood flowing
6) Exercise regularly. Keep yourself fit.
Tags: awake during the day, caffeine, coffee, staying awake, staying awake 101
