Because sometimes, you have too.

This takes me back to the college years, but gone are the days when I could abuse my body into going 4 days without sleep. So how do you burn the midnight oil when you’re age impaired?

1. Don’t nap no matter how much you want to. You will fall asleep. Even if you do manage to keep a nap short, the amount of time it takes to wake your brain up defeats the purpose of resting.
2. Caffeine- but not all the time. If you’re constantly sucking down lattes and popping caffeine pills (affectionately called “vitamin C” at RIT) you’ll become too jittery. Being jittery and tired at the same time makes it harder to focus. Pace your caffeine intake so you have a constant, even level to keep you going.
3. Take a short break every hour, or when you begin to “space out”.  Stand up, stretch your legs. Wring out a kidney. Drink some water and rest those eyes from staring at the computer screen.
4. Respect the brain. If you “space out”, take 5. You can’t force your brain to think when it’s too tired.
5. Eat light.  A heavy meal will make it harder to battle the drowsiness. Peanut butter on 2 crackers is my staple for an all-nighter.
6. Stay hydrated. Caffeine is a diuretic, so you’ll need to replenish your body’s water supply.
7. Tea is your best friend. I usually have a cup next to me at all times. It provides a nice even dose of  vitamin C  (the caffeine variety) so you don’t have the spikes and crashes of coffee or sugar-laden lattes.
8. If you take a break don’t sit down, watch TV or read. Your eyes need a break from staring at something intently, and if you’re sitting down you’re at risk of falling asleep. Take a brief walk, and the colder it is outside the better!