When we are working, studying or doing some activity that requiresconcentration and mindfulness, being sleepy becomes a real inconvenience.
That is why for full-time workers, students or people who have night jobs, it becomes important that they knowhow to take away sleepwithout taking medications or ingesting invasive supplements for the body.
In the following article, you will know the best and most effective recommendations for you to reduce sleep naturally and easily:
Recommendations to take away sleep
For some people, it is important to stay awake for long periods of time, either for personal or professional needs, for such reasons, below you will know a list with excellent recommendations to take away sleep:
Consume enough water
TheInstitute of Water and Health Research of Spain(1) ensures that the main function of water isto keep the body hydratedand thus ensure good functionality of the body, likewise, water has great importance within theregulation of the body’s energy.
This is becausethanks to the abundant intake of water, thebody’s systems perform better, the brain maintains its functions completely active and reduces tiredness and fatigue.
Tip: Drink 2 to 3 liters of water dailyso that your brain stays active, you feel more energetic and you can beat sleep.
Eating stimulant foods or drinks
High-sugar foods and drinks tend to reduce sleep, this is because the main function of sugar isto provide energy to the body, so energy drinks, sodas anddark chocolateare an excellent choice.
On the other hand, caffeine consumption can also help you. The Spanish magazineForum Café(2), conducted an interview with the specialist in sleep disorders,Dr. Eduardo Estivill (3), where he says thatcaffeine is a healthy optionto avoid falling asleep as long as it is ingested in moderation.
You should know: A cup of coffee will help you stay alert for approximately 45 minutes . It is important that you do not abuse caffeine, since constantly ingesting this substance to reduce sleep can cause problems in the nervous and gastrointestinal systems.
shower with cold water
Taking a shower with cold water with a temperature between 24ºC and 30ºC will make your body go into a state of alert while it releases cortisoltag. This hormone is responsible for regulating metabolism, blood sugar levels, and is secreted by the body in stressful situations.
Tip: Shower for at least 8 minutes with cold water so that your body stays alert and you can reduce sleep.
exercise
Taking Activate breaks will also prevent physical fatigue, keep you alert, increase your blood pressure and decrease your sleep levels , thus providing a few more awake minutes so you can continue with your activities.
Note: You must bear in mind that the exercises must be prolongedso that your body does not get exhausted. Do planks, stretches, jump rope for 3 to 5 minutes and you will feel more energetic, in addition, you will be exercising your heart and other muscles in your body.
Get fresh air and sunlight in moderation
Going for walks will help you clear your mind and you will feel revitalized by contact with Sunlighttag. Also, you can take the opportunity to take a short walk or jog a few blocks, this will increase your heart rate and your body will stay alert for longer.
Important: The benefits of the sunare multiple, however, when taking sunlight,Be careful not to expose yourself to ultraviolet rays for too long without adequate protection, since this can negatively affect the health of your skin.
Avoid large meals
Usually, the fact of working or studying at night tends to cause anxiety to eat , given this need, it is important that you avoid fast food , such as: hamburgers, pizzas, foods high in fats and condiments, because they slow down your concentration for the digestive cycle.
Note: Heavy meals make the body consume more energy to digest them, so this gastrointestinal process will make you feel fatigued, tired and sleepy.
put music
Music Can be a very effective distracting method , in addition to increasing your mood , it will help you work and carry out your activities with greater enthusiasm despite feeling tired or sleepy.
For this reason, both during the day and at night, you can listen to music of your choice with fast rhythms, avoiding ballads or classical music that may rather accelerate your desire to sleep.
Note: Keep in mind that music at high volume levels can affect your concentration, therefore, we recommend placing it at a moderate level where you can listen and carry out your activities without affecting your productivity.
Being in uncomfortable spaces
Monotony makes the body and mind fatigue more easily, to do this, try to change your workspace or study area a little , so your subconscious will remain alert to the changes around you, you can also vary the places where you usually carry out your activities.
You should know: The fact of changing spaces should not affect your comfort when working, because this can be a negative distracting medium, causing bodily discomfort and difficulty concentrating if you are not maintaining a good posture.
On the other hand, it is imperative that you establish working hours, for this it is necessary that you learn to Organize your time , thus you will increase productivity and be able to rest for the necessary hours.
Chew gum
The gum helps keep you alert, awake and awareespecially on those long nights of hard work. During the day,it helps you focus on the activities you are doing and considerably reduces anxiety levels caused by stress and fatigue.
Tip: Currently, in the candy market there are a wide variety of flavors of gum , therefore, We recommend that to avoid sleepiness you consume licorice, cinnamon or mint flavored gum , because these will keep you alert for longer.
Take short naps
On certain occasions, the body needs to restin order to compensate for the energy exhausted during the day. You must bear in mind that the body’s natural mechanism to restis sleeping , so you must provide the correct hours of sleep once your activities are finished.
In addition, alterations in sleep and rest schedules directly affect the different systems that make up the human body, for this it is necessary that you do not get used to staying up so many continuous nights and that you can recover lost sleep so that your body can be restored correctly.
Tip: Take a small nap for 15 to 20 minutestag. We recommend using the alarm on your mobile device to wake you up so you can continue with your work.
Talk to other people
Distract your mind talking with other people, in addition, take those moments assmall breaksso that you do not strain your body before so many hours of work, therefore, try to maintainbrief conversationsthat help you distract the mind for short moments and then continue with your work.
Take deep breaths
One of the benefits of deep breathing is that it increases attention and concentration, both of which are imperative for moments of hard work, therefore, we recommend that you do exercises implementing deep breathing during active breaks, this will help you concentrate better.
Also, deep breaths promote circulation and oxygen supply to the brain, thus increasing your intellectual capacity while eliminating toxins from your body.
Key Findings
- Staying hydrated will benefit all the systems in your body so that they perform their functions correctly and you can be more active.
- Take active breaks, where you include physical exercises, deep breaths, short walks and brief conversations.
- Listen to music, this will keep you in good spirits to continue with your activities.
- Chewing gumwill decrease stress, anxiety, keep you alert and strengthen your concentration.
- If necessary, take a short 15-minute nap, so your body can restore depleted energy.
University Professional in the area of Human Resources, Postgraduate in Occupational Health and Hygiene of the Work Environment, 14 years of experience in the area of health. Interested in topics of Psychology, Occupational Health, and General Medicine.