As the semester rages on, classes start to get more challenging. You may find yourself needing to pull an all-nighter in order to finish a research paper or cram for an exam. While all-nighters are never fun, there are some things you can do to make them a little less painful.
Only study with friends who won’t distract you.
Studying with a friend is a good way to stay motivated. You can keep yourself accountable and keep each other energized throughout the night. However, make sure you only pull an all-nighter with a friend who you know you can get work done with. As fun as they may be, you will regret studying with a friend who will distract you with silly YouTube videos for hours when it comes time for you to take a test in the morning or hand in a less-than-stellar paper.
Don’t eat too many sugary snacks.
Snacking is a good way to keep your energy up; however, going overboard on sugary candy will come back to haunt you later in the night. Stick to foods like fruit or nuts that will give you energy without making you crash.
Keep hydrated
Be sure to drink a lot of water, especially if you are also drinking coffee or energy drinks. An all-nighter never feels good, but being dehydrated will only make you feel worse.
Don’t overload on caffeine.
Drinking too much coffee or energy drinks can make you feel anxious and jittery, which can make it hard to concentrate. Caffeine can also make you feel sick, which is the last thing you need on a sleepless night.
Take small naps if you can.
Sleeping, even for as little as 15 minutes, can really help get you through the night. I find that if I am so tired that it becomes impossible to be productive, taking a short nap really helps. Waking up from your nap will be rough, but ultimately it will make you feel better.
Play upbeat music.
Avoid slow songs that will make you sleepy! Instead, try to find or create a playlist full of upbeat songs that will keep your energized and in good spirits.
Keep your Facebook breaks in check.
There’s nothing wrong with taking short breaks to clear your mind. We all do it and it is an important part of the studying process, but avoid wasting hours of time on Facebook because that will only add to your stress.
Stay away from your bed.
Do not try to pull an all-nighter in your room`1 Lock yourself in an academic building or the library if it is open all night. If you try to pull an all-nighter anywhere near your bed, you will be sure to find yourself succumbing to the temptation of blowing off your work to sleep.
Try energy chews instead of coffee or energy drinks.
This may be a matter of personal preference, but I find that energy chews make me less jittery and keep me feeling energetic for longer. Different things work for different people and I encourage you to try out different things, whether it is coffee, energy drinks or energy chews.
Make sure you take time to recover.
Keep in mind that pulling an all-nighter is not good for your body. Make sure you take it easy the next day and get your sleep schedule back to normal. Pulling an all-nighter here and there will not kill you, but if you make it a regular thing you will start experiencing an impact on your health. Your studies are important, but always remember that your health should come first.
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