Can't fall asleep after a sleepless night. How to survive a sleepless night and the day after it

What helps and what doesn't help after a night spent without sleep

A night spent working, studying, or doing some other urgent task can make you feel like a hero. You did what you needed to do, no matter what!

But as the day progresses, the night's enthusiasm evaporates, and suddenly you begin to feel a little tired. Getting through the day after a night without sleep can be more difficult than staying awake all night before.

A night without sleep affects the state of the brain - the speed of reaction, the ability to concentrate, the perception of information and the ability to remember it. Indeed, studies have shown that after a sleepless night you are in about the same state as if you had drunk heavily beforehand.

Captured by morning fatigue

You will feel unwell at the beginning of the next day.

"You might think that the more you stay awake, the more lethargic you'll be later, but that's not necessarily true," says sleep expert David Dinges, Ph.D., who is chair of the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Sleep and Biorhythmology and editor of the journal "SLEEP"

Because of the circadian and natural rhythms of your body clock, "24 hours after your normal wake-up time, you actually start to feel worse," says Dinges. “It’s hard to stay awake and active during this time.”

This is also the most bad time, in order to drive the car yourself, even if you are driving home from work. "If you've been up all night, you shouldn't drive because your attention span is impaired," says Mark Rosekind, Ph.D., an expert on coping with fatigue and a member of the National Transportation Safety Board. He warns that the monotony of the road, combined with a lack of sleep, can cause you to fall asleep behind the wheel without meaning to. According to statistics from the American National Sleep Foundation, in 2005, more than a third of drivers were caught dozing while driving.

The brain will help you

If you need to keep working, your brain will try to compensate for the lack of sleep.

In an experiment using functional magnetic resonance imaging, 16 young adults who had previously not slept for 35 hours completed tasks of increasing difficulty. When subjects exerted their “brain power,” activity in certain parts of the brain increased, as if they were well rested.

“Sleep-deprived people can tap into mental resources that in good condition are not used to perform any tasks. This allows them to cope with the task quite well, but not as well as if they had rested,” says doctor of psychology P.A. Sin, who conducted the experiment. Drummond is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego and a San Diego health care activist.

Yours The biological clock give you cyclical activity because they send wake-up signals to your brain. You may feel your second wind in the middle of the morning (around 10 am) and then in the early evening (at 6 or 7 am). "You may feel better, but you'll still be forgetful, inattentive, and you'll still have bad reactions," says Dinges.

Fortunately, there are several tricks on how to become less sleepy and survive the day after a sleepless night.

Take a nap

According to Rosekind, who runs NASA's anti-fatigue program, the cure for sleep is sleep. In Rosekind's study, airline pilots Pacific Ocean Those who took an average 26-minute nap experienced a 34% temporary increase in performance, and they were half as good as if they had gotten a full night's sleep.

Dinges claims that even such nap, such as taking a 10-minute nap, can benefit you because the brain quickly enters a state of slow-wave sleep. If you sleep for more than 40-45 minutes, then after waking up you may not feel entirely confident. This is called sleep inertia and happens when you wake up after deep sleep. Dinges says that by learning to shake off this feeling, you'll benefit from a short nap and feel more alert than if you hadn't slept at all.

Drink coffee or some other caffeinated drink

Drinking coffee or an energy drink right away will be an extra help in waking up. Rosekind says that most people, depending on their body weight, need between 100 and 200 milligrams of caffeine (a 120-milliliter cup of coffee contains about 100 milligrams of caffeine, but the amount can vary depending on the strength of the brew). Caffeine tablets, which can be purchased without a prescription, also come in 100 or 200 milligram strengths.

Rosekind says it will take about 15 to 30 minutes to feel the effects of caffeine, and the effects will last for three or four hours. Rosekind states: “If you consistently consume caffeine every few hours, you will have high level activity."

Best Strategy: Take caffeine and lie down for a 30-minute nap. When you wake up, you will feel refreshed.

But there's a word of caution: When you stop drinking a caffeinated drink, you'll feel low on energy. “Caffeine hides the desire to sleep, but during this time the desire to sleep does not go away, but waits in the wings,” says Rosekind.

Turn on the light

Your body clock is designed to cycle between darkness and light, so bright light wakes you up.

“The more tired a person is, the more unpleasant they find bright lights and the more they want to turn them off,” says Dinges. “Instead, you need to turn on the light or go outside where the sun is shining,” Drummond confirms Dinges’ words.

Move

A brisk walk or stroll will get your blood flowing. It also helps activate the brain. "If you move, your muscles automatically send wake-up signals to the central part of the brain," says Sharon Keenan, Ph.D., founder and director of the School of Sleep Medicine at Stanford University's Center for Advancing the Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Disorders.

Rosekind says even just changing activities or starting a conversation with someone can be uplifting. But as soon as you stop acting or talking, you will begin to feel sleepy again.

Avoid difficult work

“After a night without sleep, your short-term memory is weakened. This means you can't hold many details in your brain at once,” says Drummond.

A study of 40 young adults who stayed awake for 42 hours (that's the equivalent of staying awake all night and next day before evening sleep), showed that the possibilities short term memory decrease by 38%. Imaging studies have confirmed that the part of the brain that processes information is not active in sleep-deprived people.

Understand your limits

You can try to stay alert by washing your face cold water either by ventilating the room or going out into the cold. You may feel better after a shower and if you change your clothes as the day begins. But the body and brain cannot be fooled. The feeling of vigor will be followed by a rapid decline in activity.

“The biological need for sleep is so strong that it cannot be cheated,” says Drummond. “Sleep is as important to life as water, oxygen and food.”

But in night waking there is also positive side. When you finally get to bed, you will sleep much better than usual, and it will be deep. slow sleep. "In these cases, it's best to sleep until you wake up," says Dinges. “That means you need to get nine or ten hours of sleep. And it will be the best treatment after a sleepless night."

Consequences of lack of sleep

Many of us say: “I sleep only 3 hours a night and feel great.” In fact, this statement is far from the truth. Because of constant lack of sleep The following processes occur in the body:

During a night's rest, the body is cleansed of toxins that negatively affect memory and attention. Scientists believe that one night without sleep is comparable in its consequences to a concussion. The very next day after it, you may notice unpleasant symptoms: dizziness, tinnitus, difficulty concentrating, nausea.
Disruption of the body's biorhythms is stress for the body. If you systematically do not allow your body to rest, it will experience the consequences of chronic stress. This leads to an exacerbation of diseases with a hidden course, as well as the emergence of new ailments. Because of constant fatigue depression begins, sudden changes moods, outbursts of anger.
Adequate sleep is very important for normal functioning all organs. First of all, it suffers from its lack the immune system, which leads to frequent colds.

To get rid of these consequences, you need to know the rules that will help you regain your strength. The main thing is to get a good night's sleep, properly prepare for full-time rest and get sufficient quantity vitamins from food.

What to do if you want to sleep

If you haven't slept all night, then the best solution before a new working day is a 90-minute rest. But not everyone can afford to spend time in bed. In this case, it is time to use the following tips:

Accept cold and hot shower, after which you need to rub yourself with a hard terry towel.
Try Hatha Yoga methods. There is one thing in this practice good exercise, which cleanses the sector of the brain responsible for the rhythms of sleep and rest. It is called "Kapalabhati". To perform it, you need to sit with a straight back and do deep breath and begin to make intense, noisy exhalations through the nose. You will inhale instinctively. You need to breathe in this way for about 2 minutes. This exercise can be used during the day, it will not cause harm.
Place yourself in uncomfortable conditions - sit with your back straight, choose hard chair, turn on the lights brighter, ventilate the room.
To intensify work nervous system and blood supply, maintain physical activity. It has been proven that a 15-minute walk at a brisk pace gives a boost of energy that allows you to do office work for 2 hours. Squats and jumping help to speed up the blood and increase the volume of oxygen delivered to the brain.
Breakfast should be light. It's best to include fruit, juice, nuts and a strip of dark chocolate.
Many people advise drinking coffee after a sleepless night, but this is not the right approach. Replace coffee with green tea, as it is rich in theanine and caffeine. These substances act more gently and last longer. After espresso, you will be drawn back to sleep within 1-2 hours, while the same amount of green tea will invigorate you until the middle of the working day. Don't forget to drink throughout the day more water to prevent dehydration.
Menthol is a good energy drink. Use mint leaves chewing gum or lollipops with this flavor to activate the brain. You can add mint leaves to green tea to speed up the recovery process.
Morning sex provokes the production of the hormones oxytocin and serotonin. They encourage motor activity and improve your mood.
Place some essential oils on a handkerchief. Oils of mint, rosemary or any citrus fruit (orange, lemon, bergamot, lime) help to invigorate.
Try acupuncture: rub your nose, ears, feet and palms. Apply light pressure to your temples.

Some of these tips can be used throughout the day. Remember that the body cannot be deceived; in the evening you need to go to bed early to get a good night's sleep.

There are situations in life when there is absolutely not enough daytime to complete an urgent task, and in order to complete it you have to sacrifice sleep. But, when you had to prepare a quarterly report all night, or “stayed late” at a party, or a child did not let you fall asleep until the morning, or just a trivial incident happened, a person does not suspect what awaits him. What is the morning after a sleepless night? This is a line of empty coffee cups, a feeling of victory over oneself and the body’s revenge for disrupting sleep and wakefulness.

The state of not sleeping all night can be compared to the consequences of drinking a fair amount of alcohol. The reaction speed decreases, any incoming information is perceived with difficulty. Attention and coordination are at a minimum. In a word, it is better not to deceive nature. But what if a similar situation has already happened? How to make it through the day, how to not want to sleep after a sleepless night?

How to feel energized if you haven't slept all night

Let's look at some "advice from the old."

1. Try to make a deal with your body. Okay, let’s say you didn’t get the rest everyone needed. healthy person time. But you can take ten minutes to regain some strength. According to scientists, such a short sleep can also be beneficial and partially restore energy. Either way, you'll feel a little better than if you hadn't slept at all. 2. Without getting out of bed (if you still happen to get there), do the “scissors” and “bicycle” exercises. This will ensure a rush of blood to the limbs and it will be much easier to rise. Inhale several times any citrus aroma from essential oils (especially severe cases - ammonia), then take a cold shower. This will speed up metabolic processes and you will feel a surge of strength.

3. Drink any drink that contains caffeine, be it regular coffee or green tea, and drink small portions, but often. This way you will increase your own activity for 2-3 hours. And this is already a lot. Just be careful, such experiments, if carried out regularly, will negatively affect your well-being. You can use such advice only if necessary. Remember that the body needs good rest, and not its substitute. 4. Ventilate the room, use the air conditioner in summer - the heat is relaxing. Fresh, cool air will help you stay awake. You can wash your face with ice water or fill a towel with ice and apply it to your active points(pulsating zones). 5. Turn on the lights, especially during seasons when the sun goes down early and rises late. It has been proven that a person feels more energetic and cheerful when he receives enough light.

6. Eat. Now is the time to support the body and replenish its reserves useful substances. Just don’t load it with fatty and smoked foods; it’s better to opt for fruits or fermented milk products. Remember - sleepy organism will provoke you to use extra calories Therefore, it is important to eat foods from the concept. 7. Stock up on fragrant records. Chewing gum not only helps keep your breath fresh, but also keeps you from falling asleep. 8. Work. It is desirable that the activities be varied and encourage movement. Monotonous sitting in front of a monitor screen is more conducive to sleep than the work of a teacher working with children. If you are in a sedentary job, watch your posture and do not allow your spine to relax.

9. Talk. Talking to other people distracts you from obsessive thoughts and stay active. But as soon as you pause communication, drowsiness will again begin to insidiously envelop you. 10. Do not drive a car, ask to be driven to your destination or use public transport. Being in a state of distracted attention, you put not only yourself at risk, but also those around you. You should also not take on responsible work that requires high concentration of attention; it is better to postpone it. Otherwise, you cannot avoid mistakes.

Using the above tips, you should know that all these methods only delay the desire to fall asleep, but do not neutralize it at all.

If you manage to cheer up and survive the day after a sleepless night, be sure to thank your body for such endurance and give it the opportunity to sleep. This will be compensation for forced overwork. Sleep is as important for the body as food and water; try not to disrupt your biorhythm in the future and think through your work schedule more carefully.

What kind of night entertainment have they come up with! It was earlier that Mammon was killed and fried right ear, bit my left heel and bainki. And now there are night screenings in cinemas, clubs, entertainment centers and get-togethers with friends. It's no wonder that a fun night has an impact on the body's state in the morning. We'll tell you what to do if you haven't slept all night: how to cheer up and make sure that what's happening is real.

Did you walk, read or couldn't sleep? And so every day? Use tips for eternal night owls to cheer up and feel the desire to live and work.

Start the day with chewing gum

Stock up on a few boxes of menthol gum. Menthol- an excellent energy drink, and the chewing movements trick the brain. He believes that there will be a delicious breakfast soon, so he gets to work faster than when he usually gets up.

If you don't have gum or you don't chew for personal reasons, mint leaves will do. They contain insulin. This hormone has an invigorating effect. This is why students at Cambridge University love mint so much. Add it to green tea every day and after a week you will see that your performance has increased, and getting up in the morning is not difficult, even if you only slept for two hours. Separate article about performance

Take Glycine

After breakfast, take Glycine D3. This is a biological supplement that awakens the brain and calms the body in excited state after a sleepless night. It is indicated if you are engaged mental work or you have to spend the day on your feet. A little fizzy drink diluted in water is an excellent and safe drug. It is recommended to use Glycine instead of energy drinks.

Go for a run at home

Yes Yes. We understand everything. Jogging- an unknown beast living in the city of Monday. Don’t bother yourself with promises, but start taking action at home. If you haven't slept all night, bouncing walking will help you cheer up. Get out of bed and go to the bathroom: two steps - a jump. Make all movements around the apartment like this for 10–15 minutes. Don’t get carried away - your efforts won’t be appreciated on the street. Home jogging is more effective than regular jogging in terms of energy. By unbalancing your brain with sudden jumps, you stimulate it to work faster.

Attention: the method is not aimed at losing weight and cannot be used in a set of exercises without the instructions of a trainer.

Sit like Queen Elizabeth II of England

Yours gender characteristics not important. Remember how this beautiful, stately woman sits. Posture is straight, chest forward. The little finger on a cup of aromatic tea is protruding. You don’t have to repeat this with your little finger, otherwise do the same. Have breakfast, sit in transport and at your workplace with a straight posture. Correct yourself as soon as you feel like it relax your spine. Constant control over body position and uncomfortable posture stimulates brain activity. You will be alert even if you haven't slept all night.

Throw a fir into your bag

It's about essential oil fir trees It has an invigorating effect and is ideal for aromatherapy in owls' rooms. As soon as you start to feel sleepy, place a drop of oil on your wrist and rub behind your ear. The brain will come to its senses and you will be able to continue your daily activities.

Fir oil is used spot on. To avoid skin burns, apply half a drop and do not rub over a large area.

If you haven't slept all night, how to cheer up while driving

The only thing worse than a long trip after a sleepless night is a mosquito in the blessed silence. The road is no joke. A sluggish person should not drive and endanger his life and the lives of others. If there are no options for getting enough sleep, use these tips on how to cheer up while driving:

stop every 30-40 minutes to clear your head. Ideally, ensure 10 minutes of sleep between runs to your destination;
Buy a bag of peanuts or raisins for the trip. A constant chewing reflex will not allow the brain to turn off;
open a window or turn the air conditioner to its lowest setting. The cold will not let you sleep;
purchase Tonus-Lotion Konzentration lotion. It looks like a lipstick but actually contains a blend of oils. Rub it into your temple as soon as you feel sleepy. The components of the lotion are aimed at increasing concentration in drivers. After rubbing, there is no headache and blood pressure normalizes.

Contrary to popular belief that coffee is the best drink for energy, this is nothing more than a myth. A marketing ploy, if you will. A group of Italian scientists conducted an experiment: 119 people were asked to drink coffee and 37 green tea in the morning. Over the course of several days, vital parameters (heartbeat, pulse, blood pressure) were measured in the experimental groups and their performance was monitored. It turned out that only 17 people were really cheerful after coffee - the rest were self-convinced of the power of the magic drink. But the tea group showed excellent result. 37 out of 37 people actually woke up after drinking green tea.

Drinks that will help you wake up better than coffee:

green tea with cumin or mint;
cocoa with orange juice;
clean water with lemon;
grapefruit juice with mint;
carrot juice with ginger.

Now you know what to do if you haven’t slept all night: how to cheer up and improve your performance is clear from the first lines of the article. Have a fruitful day!