So, we put together this guide on how to survive a night of no sleep<\/a> without sacrificing your health too much. Below, learn more about preparing your body to stay awake, how to effectively pull an all-nighter, and recovering the next day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An essential step in pulling an all-nighter is the prep. How you start your day and what you do throughout it will affect the way your body reacts to staying up all night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Follow these tips to better prepare your body for a night of no sleep:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Waking up feeling energized begins with getting enough sleep the night before pulling an all-nighter. But if you\u2019re like me and think five or six hours is enough, apparently we college kids got it all wrong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults between the ages of 18 and 60 years old need approximately seven to eight hours of sleep<\/a> for good health and wellbeing; anything less can cause sleep deprivation and a higher chance of crashing during that midnight work session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you still wake up feeling tired after a full night\u2019s sleep, consider power napping<\/a>. Napping helps reduce sleepiness, improve learning and memory formation, and regulate emotions. The National Sleep Foundation recommends napping for 10 to 20 minutes<\/a> to feel refreshed and to prevent grogginess or drowsiness caused by oversleeping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Check out our sleep tips for college students<\/a> to help establish a sleep routine that works for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a no-brainer that after you work out, you\u2019re physically worn out\u2014and all you crave is a nice shower and your comfy bed. For this reason, avoid intense physical activity when you plan on pulling an all-nighter to preserve your energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That way, your energy is allocated toward mental exertion for when you\u2019re learning, reviewing, memorizing, and applying information throughout the night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that we\u2019ve shared a few tips on how to prep for a night of zero shut-eye, it\u2019s time for the real thing. Here are five tips to help you stay awake and work efficiently when pulling an all-nighter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like me, many of you will work from your bedroom when you stay up all night. Success rate? Not so great\u2014but what can you expect when you study in the very space you use to go to sleep?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once I realized my student apartment wasn\u2019t cutting it, during finals season you\u2019d find me camping out at the school library all night instead. And no, I wasn\u2019t the only one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Leave your room and go work in the kitchen, the living room, or even the restroom if you have to. Almost any setting would make for a better study or work spot than your bed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s a proven fact that light\u2014whether from a natural or artificial source<\/a>\u2014keeps you awake. Here’s why: We all possess a circadian rhythm, an internal clock that controls our natural sleep. In the dark, your body produces melatonin to help prepare you for sleep, while in the light, your body halts melatonin production so you remain alert. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to stay awake all night, then turn on all the lights and raise your screen brightness to trick your body into thinking it\u2019s not sleepy time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A cold room and a soft blanket are my sleep heaven\u2014my weakness, I should say. But like darkness, cooler temperatures also encourage drowsiness and tiredness<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raising the temperature so it’s warmer will help you stay alert. So if you still find yourself dozing off, then go ahead and make your room hotter. This should help prevent you from falling asleep at your desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A \u201csugar high\u201d is not the move if you plan to stay up all night. Sugary foods<\/a> heighten your energy levels, which is great for when you want to increase your work efficiency. Remember, though, that what goes up, must come down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sugar is a carb, and carbohydrates increase tryptophan and serotonin levels, causing a sudden dip in energy called a \u201csugar crash.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of devouring a bunch of sweets, opt for foods that are high in protein. \u201cSugar is short-lived; protein makes you more sustained,\u201d says Benjamin Caplan<\/a>, MD, family physician at CED Clinic in Chestnut, Mass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Caplan, foods high in protein will not only boost your energy levels but also keep them from dipping longer. These foods increase mental alertness and wakefulness, which is great for when you’re hitting the books or working on a project in the A.M. <\/p>\n\n\n\n oods high in protein include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s also important to note that eating large meals can make you feel tired, so snacking and small portions are the key to not falling into a food coma!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I admit it: I\u2019d rather finish my work and sleep as soon as possible than interrupt my studying with a break. This, however, is counterproductive because it overworks my brain, decreases my alertness, and breaks my focus\u2014thus making me more distracted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve learned the value of doing small activities that get me moving and feeling refreshed but won\u2019t exhaust me. Walking outside for 10 minutes helps me retain information better, gives my eyes a break from my screen, and helps me maintain focus. Other activities you can do include jumping jacks, stretching, dancing, and even taking a quick shower with cold water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This tip right here is what all my coffee-lovers have been waiting for. It\u2019s no secret that coffee boosts alertness because it contains caffeine. The thing is, timing plays a big role in how effective coffee will be at helping you maintain energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best way to use coffee to your advantage during an all-nighter is by taking a coffee power nap, explains Matthew Paxton, founder of the gaming website Hypernia<\/a>, who’s pulled plenty of all-nighters himself. Paxton says he drinks a coffee right before he takes his 20-minute power nap when prepping for a long night\u2019s work session. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This helps boost his energy levels. That’s because taking a nap enhances the brain\u2019s capacity to receive caffeine, increasing the body\u2019s wakefulness. Although Paxton chooses to take his coffee power nap before his work session, you could also do it when you begin to feel tired during the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At this point in the process, you know how to successfully stay up all night. What comes next? Making sure it doesn’t totally wreck your health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s how to recover the following day:<\/p>\n\n\n\n As much as you\u2019d love to \u201ccatch up on sleep\u201d the following day, avoid long naps at all costs if you think you’re going to get a full night’s sleep the next night. Take a shorter nap\u2014less than 30 minutes\u2014instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This will help give you enough energy to survive the day and make it to nighttime. It will also ensure you’re able to train your body to sleep at its usual time again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like you shouldn’t do intense exercise the day before<\/em> pulling an all-nighter, it\u2019s also best to avoid it the day after<\/em> as well. Because your body is trying to recover from lack of sleep, skip working out for your safety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, consider doing yoga to relax your tired brain and tense body. Yoga before bed can help alleviate muscle tension, promote relaxation, and prepare your body for deep sleep. Treat your body to these yoga poses <\/a>to help you get a good night\u2019s rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Caffeine is a stimulant that boosts alertness in some people. The Food and Drug Administration recommends no more than 400 milligrams<\/a> of caffeine a day. (The average cup of coffee, FYI, has around 96 milligrams of caffeine<\/a>, according to the Mayo Clinic.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"infographic](\"https:\/\/images.prismic.io\/saatva-blog\/c7c27b0d-3b16-42cc-aafc-0e07718162ec_how-to-stay-awake-survival-guide.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=0,0,2500,7967&w=2500&h=7967\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow to prepare for staying awake all night<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Get a good night\u2019s sleep the night(s) before<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Avoid intense physical exertion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to pull an all-nighter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Stay out of your bedroom<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Keep it lit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"lightbulb](\"https:\/\/images.prismic.io\/saatva-blog\/542a25e8-047e-4220-af4d-936260e94fc8_how-to-stay-awake-turn-on-the-lights.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=0,0,2501,2500&w=2501&h=2500\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. Turn up the heat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Put down the sugar and pick up the protein<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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5. Take activity breaks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Bonus tip: Try a coffee power nap<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"infographic](\"https:\/\/images.prismic.io\/saatva-blog\/d4a0bc03-6048-49a5-a9bc-e6dd38a3e1b2_how-to-stay-awake-energizing-foods.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=0,0,2501,7968&w=2501&h=7968\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow to recover from an all-nighter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Take a short nap<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Do some yoga<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Does caffeine keep you awake?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n