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How to Stay Awake
Written by
Jay Summer, Staff Writer
Medically Reviewed by
Dr. Anis Rehman, Internal Medicine Physician
As many as one in four people Trusted Source UpToDate More than 2 million healthcare providers around the world choose UpToDate to help make appropriate care decisions and drive better health outcomes. UpToDate delivers evidence-based clinical decision support that is clear, actionable, and rich with real-world insights. View Source feel so sleepy during the day that they have difficulty doing their work, schooling, or other important activities. People who have sleep disorders, work night shifts, or pull all-nighters often find themselves struggling to stay awake. While there is no replacement Trusted Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats. View Source for getting the right amount of sleep, it is common to seek out ways to stay awake during class, at work, or while driving.
We cover several tips on how to stay awake, including ways to improve your morning routine and the best times for exercise or taking a power nap. We also address the benefits of a well-timed snack and offer suggestions for staying awake during class, work, and while driving.
Change Your Wake Up Routine
Just as a bedtime routine can help you fall asleep, having a consistent wake up routine helps you wake up on time feeling alert. To improve your morning routine, be sure to wake up at the same time Trusted Source UpToDate More than 2 million healthcare providers around the world choose UpToDate to help make appropriate care decisions and drive better health outcomes. UpToDate delivers evidence-based clinical decision support that is clear, actionable, and rich with real-world insights. View Source every day, even on your days off. Keeping a consistent schedule will make it easier to wake up naturally and on time.
Get some sunlight as soon as possible after waking up. Bright light Trusted Source Merck Manual First published in 1899 as a small reference book for physicians and pharmacists, the Manual grew in size and scope to become one of the most widely used comprehensive medical resources for professionals and consumers. View Source strongly influences circadian rhythms. Exposure to bright light soon after rising can help you wake up and feel alert. The sun is the best light source. However, if you work nights or live in the very northern or southern part of the world, you may not have access to natural light when you wake up. As an alternative to natural sunlight, using a light therapy box or visor can help you to feel less sleepy and more awake.
Go on a Walk
A quick break for some physical activity can help you feel more alert. Exercise releases endorphins Trusted Source Merck Manual First published in 1899 as a small reference book for physicians and pharmacists, the Manual grew in size and scope to become one of the most widely used comprehensive medical resources for professionals and consumers. View Source in the brain that can raise your energy levels, improve your mood, and lessen pain.
Taking a short walk is linked to higher energy levels that may last for two hours or more Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source after you finish exercising. Research has shown that regular exercise can even improve alertness in people with chronic health conditions like narcolepsy Trusted Source UpToDate More than 2 million healthcare providers around the world choose UpToDate to help make appropriate care decisions and drive better health outcomes. UpToDate delivers evidence-based clinical decision support that is clear, actionable, and rich with real-world insights. View Source and chronic fatigue Trusted Source UpToDate More than 2 million healthcare providers around the world choose UpToDate to help make appropriate care decisions and drive better health outcomes. UpToDate delivers evidence-based clinical decision support that is clear, actionable, and rich with real-world insights. View Source . As an added benefit, regular exercise helps you fall asleep faster at bedtime and improves the length and quality of your sleep.
Eat a Healthy Snack
Healthy food choices can help fight sleepiness. When you are trying to stay awake, try not to avoid meals just because you are tired. Low blood sugar can make you feel more worn out. If you do fall asleep after skipping a meal, hunger might wake you up earlier than you want.
While you may feel a temporary boost of energy after eating sugary snacks, high-sugar foods and beverages actually make you feel more tired over time. Instead, try having balanced meals containing protein and vegetables to help you stay alert. Fruits, vegetables, yogurt, eggs, nuts, fish, beans, and lean meats are all healthy food choices.
Finally, if you are trying to stay awake despite sleep loss, be sure to drink plenty of water. Dehydration can make you feel more tired.
Grab Some Caffeine
Caffeine is a powerful stimulant that is commonly found in coffee, tea, soda, and energy drinks. It can make you feel more alert, less tired Trusted Source UpToDate More than 2 million healthcare providers around the world choose UpToDate to help make appropriate care decisions and drive better health outcomes. UpToDate delivers evidence-based clinical decision support that is clear, actionable, and rich with real-world insights. View Source , and improve your concentration Trusted Source UpToDate More than 2 million healthcare providers around the world choose UpToDate to help make appropriate care decisions and drive better health outcomes. UpToDate delivers evidence-based clinical decision support that is clear, actionable, and rich with real-world insights. View Source and energy. Coffee and tea are the most commonly used alertness-promoting substances in the world.
Caffeine’s effects on alertness and energy work by blocking adenosine within the brain. Adenosine is a naturally-occurring chemical that makes you feel sleepy. By blocking the effects of adenosine, caffeine excites your nervous system, leading to faster reactions, improved attention, and a better mood among other effects.
Caffeine starts working in about a half hour but its effects can last for many hours. The amount of caffeine in one cup of coffee or two cups of tea may keep you alert through a shift at work or a few hours at school. Be careful though, because caffeine can make it harder to fall asleep, so avoid caffeine Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source within eight hours before you plan to go to bed.
While caffeine can help you stay awake in the short term, it should not take the place of regularly getting enough sleep. If you use large amounts of caffeine, you may find that caffeine no longer makes you feel as alert as it once did or that you need to take higher amounts to get the same effects.
Take a Power Nap
While napping in order to stay awake may sound counterintuitive, a short nap can help you feel more awake for several hours afterwards. Studies have found that people feel more alert and less sleepy after napping. However, naps should not take the place of regularly getting enough sleep. Napping too much can make it more difficult for you to fall asleep at night .
Health experts recommend limiting daytime naps to about 20 minutes at a time. Longer naps can actually make you feel groggier than short naps due to sleep inertia. Sleep inertia can leave you waking up from deep sleep feeling groggy, confused or in a bad mood. Sleep inertia usually lasts less than an hour, but may last longer if you are sleep deprived. Bright lights, washing your face, and caffeine may shorten sleep inertia.
The best times for a nap are in the early morning or mid-afternoon before 3 p.m. Napping closer to your desired bedtime may interfere with falling asleep on time Trusted Source UpToDate More than 2 million healthcare providers around the world choose UpToDate to help make appropriate care decisions and drive better health outcomes. UpToDate delivers evidence-based clinical decision support that is clear, actionable, and rich with real-world insights. View Source .
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Stay Awake
To stay awake in class, pack a portable, low-carbohydrate snack and some water and take a few minutes to be active before you get to class. Physical activity during schooling has been linked to higher alertness, concentration, and focus among students from grade school Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source to university Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source . Between classes, as little as 5 to 10 minutes of physical activity can help boost your alertness.
Staying awake at work can be challenging, especially if you can’t control your work hours or environment. Working while tired is linked to a higher risk of poor job performance, work errors, accidents and injuries. If you feel tired at work, several tips may help you to stay awake.
Turn up the lights: Adjust lighting in your workplace to be as bright as possible. If the overhead lighting is too dim, consider using a portable light box.
Vary work tasks: Try mixing up what you are working on, as research has found that repetitive and boring work is
just as bad
Trusted Source
National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information
The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information.
View Source
for your level of alertness as being sleep deprived.
Optimize sleep before work: Follow sleep hygiene recommendations and sleep in a quiet, dark, and cool room when you are not at work. A several-hour nap before work may improve your alertness during a night shift.
Limit caffeine to the start of the shift: Taking caffeine close to the end of a shift can make it more difficult to sleep after you get home from work. Research has found that a single cup of coffee or tea at the start of a work shift may be more effective than spacing out small doses over the course of your day.
If you feel tired while driving, pull over and stop the car as soon as you can safely do so. Drowsy driving can be as dangerous as driving while intoxicated. Each year, drowsy driving causes
over 90,000 car crashes
Trusted Source
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Through enforcing vehicle performance standards and partnerships with state and local governments, NHTSA reduces deaths, injuries and economic losses from motor vehicle crashes.
View Source
and almost 800 deaths.
Research shows that you may not be able to accurately identify when you are too tired to drive safely. If you know in advance that you may need to drive while tired, it is best to arrange to ride with a friend or coworker, take public transportation, or reschedule your drive. Warning signs of drowsy driving include difficulty focusing, eyelids that feel heavy, not remembering the last few minutes or miles, frequent blinking or yawning, and drifting across lanes.
A 20-minute nap can help improve alertness and safe driving ability. Caffeine may also help, but it may be less effective if you are very sleep deprived or if you regularly use caffeine. Cold air, food, non-caffeinated beverages, and listening to music have not been proven to prevent drowsy driving.
While it may seem like a good idea to stay up all night for work or school, sleep loss can negatively affect your performance and increase your risk of accidents. A single all-nighter can
interfere with your thinking
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UpToDate
More than 2 million healthcare providers around the world choose UpToDate to help make appropriate care decisions and drive better health outcomes. UpToDate delivers evidence-based clinical decision support that is clear, actionable, and rich with real-world insights.
View Source
, mental health, and judgment. Repeated sleep loss has been linked to several health problems including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
If you cannot avoid an all-nighter, the best way to recover is to get enough sleep as soon as you can. Re-establish your bedtime and wake-up schedule as quickly as possible. Avoid daytime naps that interfere with bedtime sleep. Get physical activity, ideally in sunlight, eat low-carbohydrate meals, and drink plenty of water. Caffeine in the morning will improve alertness, but should not be taken within eight hours of bedtime.
If you can’t consume caffeine or choose not to, making healthy choices can help you stay awake.
As an alternative to caffeine, make sure to get as much bright light as possible, preferably natural sunlight. Make time for 5 to 10 minutes of physical activity. Eat a healthy, low-carbohydrate snack and drink water. Finally, try taking a 20-minute nap, but avoid napping for too long or too late in the day as it may make it harder for you to fall asleep at bedtime.
- Regular Green Tea Consumption Found to Be a Promising Stimulant February 20, 2023 – Research on mice determined that ongoing use of green tea maintains arousal-inducing effects similar to caffeine without side effects.
- How Long You Sleep Predicts Grade Point Average in First Year of College February 13, 2023 – A study of first-year college students found that lower average nightly sleep duration early in the term predicted a lower GPA at the term’s end.
- Multidimensional Sleep Health Correlates With Fewer Migraines
- Short Sleep Duration Associated With Obesity in College Students
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Jay Summer is a health content writer and editor. She holds a B.S. in psychology and master's degrees in writing and public policy.
Dr. Rehman, M.D., is a board-certified physician in Internal Medicine as well as Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism.
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