Sleepless Nights – 15 Ways To Survive After Zero Sleep
Not sure how you can survive sleepless nights? Here are 15 ways to perk yourself up after getting zero sleep.
Let’s chat about sleepless night.
Not sure how you can survive sleepless nights? Here are 15 ways to perk yourself up after getting zero sleep (so you can feel more rested).
Are you tired?
Exhausted?
Feel like you want to hide behind a rock and have a nap?
If you’re a mom, there’s a good chance that at one point or another, you have experienced a sleepless night.
Or a whole string of sleepless nights connected together.
The reasons for this lack of sleep are endless.
Maybe you needed to care for a sick child.
Or you had a teething baby.
Or you were facing a tight deadline at work and the stress was keeping you up at night.
Whatever the case, you wake up the next day and your head feels like a truck just ran over it.
Although it would be great to sleep in the next day, most of the time we don’t have that luxury at hand.
Oh but how I wish we did!
Instead you have to wake up, brush yourself off and keep on going, whether you like it or not.
I myself have experienced a few horrid nights were my total amount of unbroken sleep was less than an hour and all I can say is it’s DEVASTATING.
One time it even took place the night before my daughter’s birthday party.
When that happens, you wake up feeling as if you need toothpicks to keep your eyelids open.
But still the prospect of grabbing another sleep is FAR AWAY.
Let’s face it: the show and life must go on!
If you have ever experienced the same exhaustion and are wondering how you can possibly survive, here are 15 steps you can take to function better after a hard night of close to zero sleep.
Steps to Take Before You Miss a Night’s Sleep
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
TIP # 1 – Store up sleep in advance.
First let’s start with some good news:
Many studies confirm that you can bank some sleep.
There’s a famous study where subjects who got extra slumber in the weeks before being deprived of sleep performed better and recovered faster.
So there’s something to be said about getting extra sleep when you can.
Experiment until you find the right formula for you.
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
TIP # 2 – Arrange for alternative transportation.
Driving while drowsy can be as dangerous as operating a vehicle when you’re intoxicated.
That’s not good!
When you’re feeling super tired, make sure to ask a friend for a ride to the office or plan to call a cab.
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
TIP # 3 – Rearrange your workload.
Research also shows that sleep deprivation affects some abilities more than others.
I’ve personally noticed that myself.
I like to do my more mundane blogging tasks like graphic design when I’m feeling tired rather than writing which requires more thinking power for me.
It’s all about managing your energy levels well.
It hurts my brain way too much to try and come up with new content when I’m feeling exhausted.
See if you can pinpoint how fatigue personally affects your own work.
You may be better off scheduling creative work and important engagements for another time.
Steps to Take After You Miss a Night’s Sleep
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
TIP # 4 – Nap a little.
Naturally, sleep is the best antidote for sleep deprivation.
Like…duh.
But sometimes a long stretch of sleep is simply not possible.
If that’s the case I still recommend grabbing whatever little bit you can.
Napping for 5 to 20 minutes will still help restore your energy.
Of course it won’t fill up your tank completely but it will add a dash of fuel to help you get through the rest of the day.
I’ve personally tested this and it works 🙂
Even just shutting your eyes briefly can help.
Take deep breaths and do your best to relax.
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
TIP # 5 – Go easy on the caffeine.
People often think drinking lots of coffee will help boost your energy and make you feel more awake but sometimes it’s counterproductive.
If you’re feeling totally exhausted, limit yourself to one cup of coffee or its equivalent and drink it early in the day.
Otherwise, it could backfire and keep you up the next night (not so fun…obviously this just leads to less sleep and so the cycle continues).
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
TIP # 6 – Stay hydrated.
News alert: Dehydration causes fatigue.
Did you know that?
I didn’t before.
So if you are feeling tired, make sure to drink plenty of water and snack on vegetables and fruit.
Avoid alcoholic beverages as alcohol is a diuretic and causes your body to remove fluids from your blood.
If you do plan to drink alcohol, just make sure you’re also drinking more water than usual along with it.
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
TIP # 7 – Engage in exercise.
Physical activity is one of the healthiest and most effective ways to revive your energy levels quickly.
Most of us think that doing exercise will just make us more tired but the opposite is actually true.
It gives us more energy!
Weird right?
Test it out yourself.
Go for a brisk walk around the block or do a few sets of leg lifts to get the blood flowing again through your body.
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
TIP # 8 – Strike up a conversation.
Chatting with people around you can also perk you up temporarily.
You may have noticed this yourself.
You are about to nod off but your phone rings, you start talking and suddenly you feel wide awake again.
So feel free to call a friend for a chat.
Attentive listening will help to focus your mind even if you’re too sleepy to contribute anything profound.
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
TIP # 9 – Turn up the lights.
Our brains naturally wake up when exposed to light.
I know I personally find it harder to sleep when the room is bright.
Early morning sunlight is especially powerful so spend a little time outdoors, soaking in the sunshine.
Later, you can sit near a bright lamp to keep you feeling a little more alert.
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
TIP #10 – Alternate between tasks.
Switching back and forth between monotonous tasks makes it easier to stay awake.
Try doing your housework and reading your emails in brief intervals.
Anything to keep you focused on something new rather than wanting to slip straight back under the bed sheets (unless of course, you have the opportunity to slip back under the bed sheets)
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
TIP # 11 – Adjust your thermostat.
Comfort levels vary from one individual to the next but 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal room temperature for most people.
Take the time to see what the temperature is currently inside your own home.
If it’s too hot or too cold, you body may respond by getting sleepy.
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
TIP # 12 – Take deep breath.
Yes just breathe in deeply, as often as you need to.
One breath and then another and another.
You’ll soon feel more awake if you deliver more oxygen to your brain.
Make sure to take full breaths from your abdomen too rather than from your chest.
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
TIP # 13 – Avoid getting sick.
One of the side effects of getting not enough sleep is that we’re more prone to getting sick.
Am I right?
That’s because your immune system needs adequate sleep to stay strong.
If your defenses are down temporarily, be more diligent about protective measures like frequent hand washing in order to avoid coming down with something.
I personally also like to take some extra vitamins on these days just to be safe.
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
TIP # 14 – Monitor your moods.
You may be more prone to irritability when you’re struggling to stay awake.
Ahhhh yes – that is so me!
When I’m super tired, I get grumpy (much like a little kid gets grumpy when they are tired.)
What you need on these days is a little self-kindness and compassion.
Buy yourself some pretty flowers or listen to soothing music.
Put off difficult conversations until you’re back in shape.
You already know things are likely to be bumpy when you’re feeling totally exhausted.
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
TIP # 15 – Give yourself time to recover.
Sleep is vital for healing and regenerating your body and mind.
So when you go without sleep it sometimes take a few days to get back on your feet.
Most people need more than one night to recover from interrupted sleep.
I know it took me a few weeks to really get back on track after I had three months of having to wake up twice a week at 3am for coaching calls (the joys of living in Sydney and in a different time zone).
Do your best to get back on schedule as quickly as possible and realize that it may take a week or more to feel fully restored.
In the end, we know sleep is vital.
It’s so important to protect your mental and physical health by making a commitment to getting the sleep you need.
By staying well rested most of the time, you’ll not only be better prepared to recover from the occasional sleepless night, you will also better manage your daily activities.
And when you can finally get the opportunity to have some rest, make sure you TAKE IT.
Sleep is so important so make sure you prioritize it accordingly.
Wishing you the best of luck,
Frances Vidakovic xx
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I’m Frances Vidakovic – a mindset & action coach for quietly ambitious women who want to stop overthinking and finally take aligned action. I help women achieve their goals and follow through on what matters, without sacrificing their sanity or soul.