How do stay awake? ¯\(°_o)/¯

[abt]

I keep getting really tired in the afternoon at my desk, like seriously can hardly stay awake. I can't take a nap because then I can't sleep at night.

Does any one else suffer from this? How do you snap out of it? Please no drugs, coffee, and cigarettes, I've got enough bad habits without starting that again.

 

[El_Gato]

call your ex, that would wake up a dead

 

[Seth Munson]

video games! always keeps me up when my body tells me to sleep at noon

 

[53Crëw]

Perhaps it's what you eat for lunch? If I eat too much junk food or stuff high in sugar, I crash a couple hours after lunch and feel like a nap....

 

[Uladyne]

This might sound weird, and may not be an option if you're talking about being at work, but sunflower seeds keep me awake quite well. I've only really resorted to them while driving, but it really works. Cracking the shells keeps your brain occupied enough to keep you from nodding off during insanely boring tasks, but doesn't require so much attention that it distracts you from thinking about other things. Drawbacks are that some may see it as gross, because you'll have to spit the shells into something (unless you dont give a fuck and spit them all over the floor), and after about 4,000 seeds your tongue may start to hurt.

 

[cloy26]

a regular routine of a little exercise and eating healthier will keep you from crashing mid day.

 

[53Crëw]

.... Also, staying up 'till 3am trying to write songs makes me sleepy during the day.... LOL.

 

[Harry Hughes]

Insomniac?

 

[53Crëw]

Insomniac?

Not really. I just start getting these creative ideas and don't want to stop. Next thing I know, it's 3am.

 

[abt]

call your ex, that would wake up a dead

lol. Holy shit that would work!

video games! always keeps me up when my body tells me to sleep at noon

No way! I have a self imposed ban on all video games. I used to be addicted. I once spent about 60hrs straight gaming, fuelled by cigs and coffee.

Perhaps it's what you eat for lunch? If I eat too much junk food or stuff high in sugar, I crash a couple hours after lunch and feel like a nap....

There's no denying that this is a factor but even when I eat right I'm still crashing. Maybe I'll try to eat something total out there that I never eat and see what that does.

 

[abt]

sunflower seeds

Cool. I'm going to try this.

a regular routine of a little exercise and eating healthier will keep you from crashing mid day.

What can I say, I'm guilty I am trying to exercise more. I do eat reasonably well though.

.... Also, staying up 'till 3am trying to write songs makes me sleepy during the day.... LOL.

+1 the problem is even if I go to bed I can't sleep

Insomniac?

Not as bad as I used to be but pretty bad, yes.

 

[53Crëw]

There's no denying that this is a factor but even when I eat right I'm still crashing. Maybe I'll try to eat something total out there that I never eat and see what that does.

For me, at least, my best bet is to avoid sodas or drinks with sugar at lunch, and no fatty foods. So I usually eat something like a veggie sandwich on whole wheat bread and drink decaf iced tea, or something like that.

 

[Harry Hughes]

Not really. I just start getting these creative ideas and don't want to stop. Next thing I know, it's 3am.

I was asking the OP, not you

 

[roy22341]

I always found that keeping well hydrated keeps me awake a lot better. My job occasionally requires me to be awake for up to 40 hours straight while driving, working, performing calculations, etc. For me its usually a lot of 5 hour energies and cigarettes but honestly the best thing you can do is eat a lot better and drink more water. Also, try to avoid drinking coffee in the mornings.

 

[Harry Hughes]

Insomnia seems to be the root of the issue here.
Do as much research on the topic as possible and slowly start making the lifestyle changes suggested.
Do you do diaphragmatic breathing exercises?

 

[El_Gato]

yeah, how to sleep is the question for me right now (5:38 here), well who cares, it's saturday night.

take into account that naps should be 20 minutes max! The perfect nap for me is just 10 min of total relax and when I'm about to sleep, just jump from there and keep rollin or nap for hours. Forget about sleeping after that.

 

[53Crëw]

I was asking the OP, not you

LOL. It seemed to fit my comment so well, I just assumed....

 

[abt]

I always found that keeping well hydrated keeps me awake a lot better. My job occasionally requires me to be awake for up to 40 hours straight while driving, working, performing calculations, etc. For me its usually a lot of 5 hour energies and cigarettes but honestly the best thing you can do is eat a lot better and drink more water. Also, try to avoid drinking coffee in the mornings.

I'm well hydrated. Fuck what do you do that requires you to be awake that long? That sound bloody horrid! I hope your safe brother!

Insomnia seems to be the root of the issue here.

It could well be, it's really hard because to say because I'm so used to it, I know what your thinking, if I'm used to it then I shouldn't be tired, does that make sense?

Do you do diaphragmatic breathing exercises?

Does that work with insomnia? I know it's a common anxiety tool.

yeah, how to sleep is the question for me right now (5:38 here), well who cares, it's saturday night.

take into account that naps should be 20 minutes max! The perfect nap for me is just 10 min of total relax and when I'm about to sleep, just jump from there and keep rollin or nap for hours. Forget about sleeping after that.

I used to do this, 20mins, at first it was great but now if I nap I'm up all night.

 

[Harry Hughes]

It could well be, it's really hard because to say because I'm so used to it, I know what your thinking, if I'm used to it then I shouldn't be tired, does that make sense?

I know that feeling EXACTLY. I spent almost all of 2007 with insomnia and a fair bit of 2008 with it.
It makes you really active at night time, to the point where you think "surely I can't have sleeping problems, I feel so alert and awake!" but you virtually crash halfway through the day just because you barely slept well at night, but other those mid day crashes, you never feel it that much.

That is, until you break out of insomnia and you will seriously look back and ask how yourself the fuck you functioned at all.
Once I broke out of the pattern and started to sleep normally (I average 7.5-9 hours a night now), I noticed my short term memory improved DRASTICALLY, I don't have mid day crashes anymore unless I've had a super super busy day, I could focus on tasks for longer periods of time and I actually feel tired at night and my body actually tells me it wants to sleep at night.

Oh and to answer the question about diaphragmatic breathing , yes it can help, because it keeps the body more relaxed (and just out of interest, I am actually an anxiety sufferer)

 

[abt]

Thanks very much to everyone for all your ideas. This problem is getting worse and starting to really impact on my life. It's weird because since starting this post it's like you've put a spotlight on me for a moment and really had to think about it. It's no just the afternoon crash, I feel so terrible when I'm like that, I just want to go to sleep, it's like nothing else exists for that moment. It also make you feel lazy, you know like you don't want to do anything else.

Once I broke out of the pattern and started to sleep normally (I average 7.5-9 hours a night now)

Wow! That's excellent. I can stay in bed for about 8hrs but 4-5hrs is max sleep. Usually about 4. Did you do anything particular to break the cycle?