Sometimes you just can’t keep (yawn)… your eyes (nod)… open (double yawn). Unfortunately, those moments sometimes happen when you need to be bringing your A-game. Here are some natural techniques that will help you stay awake, alert, productive, and safe during some typical sleep-inducing situations.
Weekly Snoozer of a Meeting
Clear some time before the meeting, and shut your office door, or find a quiet spot somewhere for a power nap of 10-15 minutes. “Don’t sleep longer than 20 minutes because you’ll go into the deeper stages of sleep, and wake up groggy,” says Martin Moore-Ede, M.D., Ph.D., chairman and CEO of Circadian Technologies, a research and consulting firm studying the problems of alertness and fatigue in our 24-hour society.
If you can’t sneak in some shut-eye, try sniffing some peppermint. The aroma stimulates your reticular activating system, the part of your brain that keeps you awake. Either take a whiff of pure essential oil like this one or dab Lush’s Party On balm on your pulse points.
A Doozey of a Drive
If you’re behind the wheel and decide you’d better pull over and find a place to nap, get a cup of coffee before you doze. “By the time the caffeine is ingested, you’ve finished your nap and will get the benefits of both the nap and the caffeine,” Dr. Moore-Ede says. “It’s the most effective single combination to put someone back on the road,” he says.
But if it’s dark out and you don’t feel safe pulling over, moving your mouth will help keep you alert. Grab a stick of your favorite gum or even ice cubes and chew away.
Lazy Computer Daze
When the glow of your computer screen makes your eyelids heavy, don’t give in. Brighten things up by amplifying the lighting in your office. Then cool things down by turning up the air conditioning a notch or two (if you work in a big office, your company is probably doing this for you already). Get up and walk around outside. When you return to your desk, listening to your iPod or doing a few clues of a crossword puzzle will tap into the switches of alertness that help you stay awake, Dr. Moore-Ede says.
Final Tip: Avoid Those Big Meals
If you know you have to stay alert, eat light meals with high protein to prevent post-meal malaise from increasing your fatigue. Resist the craving for easy-to-eat carb-heavy foods like pasta or sugar snacks like candy bars. Avoid eating turkey, milk, or peanut butter, which are high in tryptophan—that amino acid that inspires the after-Thanksgiving-dinner drowsies.
