Tips for Pulling All-Nighters!

Hey guys!

If you're not on spring break already, you're probably (like many students) currently overwheled with midterms and papers that are due before you get on break. And if you've procrastinated (also like many students), you may be faced with the reality of having to pull an all-nighter. While I normally do not encourage this, as it makes you less productive in the long-term, sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures and you just literally don't have the time or the luxury to get your eight hours  of beauty sleep. So here are some tried and true tips for staying awake all night that will help you get that paper done on time.

1. Have some caffeine - but only a little bit.
 I've read many things online that say to avoid caffeine while pulling an all-nighter as much as possible, but lets face it: if you're already tired from going to school or work all day, it will be near impossible to stay awake for the rest of the night without a little boost from some coffee (black, no sugar, of course). However, your caffeine intake should be strictly monitored because too many cups of coffee can give you a terrible crash that no extra amount of caffeine will fix. A good rule of thumb is to drink no more than two to three (medium-large) cups of coffee throughout the entire night (but less if you can manage on only one cup).

2. Take a shower!
Over the years, I've found that taking a shower right before studying for the rest of the night really wakes me up and makes me feel refreshed and feeling more energized to begin the long night ahead. Quick, ten-minute showers are best because they don't take up too much time and will save you some time the next morning as you're getting ready.

3. Take power naps.
Although taking naps might feel "lazy" to some, it has been found that many people are actually more productive after taking short power-naps than if they just continued to work without naps. The optium length to shoot for is around 20 minutes; less won't help very much and more will leave you feeling even more tired and groggy. To get the best results, I've also noticed that drinking some coffee before taking the power-nap helps you to feel even more awake.

4. Stay hydrated.
If you're going to be staying up all night, it is essential that you continue drinking water throughout the night. Not only will a glass of ice cold water help you to stay awake, but it will help detoxify and cleanse your tissues which may be aggravated by stress.

I hope these tips help you guys and good luck with exams!

Latinmetalhead