Whether you’re studying for an exam, binge watching, or trying to meet a deadline for a job that is when you decide to pull an all-nighter, or simply because you’re stuck in a railway station or airport waiting for your transport. It’s fun when you’re with friends or family binge watching or rehearsing for functions but working by yourself all night can be tough at times. Sometimes, pulling an all-nighter is your only option to get things done. If you have to go that route, you may as well do it right.

Be aware, staying up till 6am to study for a test at 9am is a terrible idea. Just because you spent all night reading words on pages doesn’t mean your brain retained all the necessary information. If you need to function the following day, cut your losses or at least compromise and get some sleep.

What happens if you’re sleep deprived?

• Lack of sleep can adversely affect your metabolism by triggering changes in the hormones that regulate satiety and appetite over time, increasing your risk of obesity.
• Pulling an all-nighter can send your emotions on a roller-coaster ride. It’s no secret that sleep deficiency can make you moody and irritable. 

 Basically, a chronic lack of Zzz’s may leave you with the attention span of a goldfish. 

But with all that in mind, there are steps you can take to cut down the fatigue and treat your body and mind under unpleasant conditions. 

Here’s how to survive the night (in a proper way)

Take power naps before you go into the night! Pulling an all-nighter is basically stealing sleep from your future self so it’s best to make up for it beforehand. Power naps are great before an all-nighter, it will boost your memory, cognitive skills, creativity and energy levels. The more sleep you can get beforehand, the less it’ll affect your body and mind later on.

Grab a cup of coffee! Caffeine is not exactly the healthiest option but drinking a little coffee and lots of water is a great idea for the night. It’s okay to drink 1 cup of coffee every 2 hours but not more than 3 in one single night.

Chew a gum! Chewing a gum can never put you to sleep. Moreover, studies have shown that chewing flavored gum can help you remember information more efficiently.

Move and relax! Take a 10 minute break every 45 minutes. Working straight for hours can exhaust your body, mind and brain so take a short break for a while. Walk or lie down on your bed so that your eyes and body muscles can relax for a bit while you rest. 

How to survive the next day?

Do not drive.  Drowsy driving can cause life endangering accidents so it’s better not to risk it.        Doctors suggest to avoid driving unless you’ve been able to sleep for at least 6 hours.                                                   

Go easy on yourself. DO NOT overdose on coffee. Excessive caffeine can be hazardous to health so go easy on the caffeine consumption.

Eat fresh fruits and vegetables. When you’re sleep deprived you will seek for comfort food and the best options are fruits and vegetables since it will keep your body light and also aid in digestion.

Be active. Not a day to try tough new workouts but a little cardio or light body exercises will benefit you a lot. In fact, light physical activities can also help you to sleep better later on.

Another study found that sleep deprivation can give you a serious case of munchies, similar to if you had smoked a joint!

One all-nighter won’t kill you but chronic sleep deprivation can lead to serious health issues. Staying up all night isn’t good for you and should only be done as a last resort. After staying up all night, you’ll feel very drowsy so try to make up the sleep the next day.

So, that’s it on how to pull an all-nighter (the proper way), hope you got to perceive some important strategies to apply in your late night adventures because nobody really wants a tiring day and gorgeous eyebags underneath their eyes!

Edited By: Riyasat Zaman

Written By: Rudhmilla Adneen Rai