Comments on: Keeping mentally sharp when working late at night

Question: Keeping mentally sharp when working late at night

inksyndicate — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 20:40:29 -0800

What's the best way to stay mentally sharp when doing late-night work? What works and what doesn't?

By: BlueTrain

BlueTrain — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 20:44:35 -0800

In my opinion, what does not work is caffeine, of any kind. (I believe that it, like cocaine, causes restlessness and lack of focus) On the other hand, fruit, short breaks that include fresh air, and lots of water seem to work well for me.

By: Keyser Soze

Keyser Soze — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 20:57:05 -0800

An apple or orange contains complex carbohydrates, which will give you instant energy in about a half hour after eating.

By: inksyndicate

inksyndicate — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 21:03:21 -0800

Thanks! I feel better already.

By: hattifattener

hattifattener — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 21:10:00 -0800

I agree with BlueTrain. When in college I discovered that drinking plenty of water was the key to actually getting anything done in the second half of an all-nighter. I don't find caffeine to be too helpful, although I do find it helpful in the mornings.

The other thing that I found was that my eating habits over the previous one or two days affected my ability to concentrate for long periods. If I'd been eating regular, balanced meals, I'd be in much better shape than if I'd skipped a meal or three (which I have a regrettable tendency to do).

By: Caviar

Caviar — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 21:17:24 -0800

I do find caffeine to be helpful, but that's sort of a baseline. I second the fresh air and water suggestion. If you can, take a cool shower.

More than fruit, I find it helpful to eat some protein. Sugar will give you a rush, but it'll be gone in an hour.

If you feel REALLY tired, sleep a bit, but for less than 15 minutes.

By: the fire you left me

the fire you left me — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 21:24:12 -0800

For me, adderall.

By: nicwolff

nicwolff — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 21:29:10 -0800

Provigil.

By: cmonkey

cmonkey — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 21:55:46 -0800

Methamphetamine.

May cause unpleasant side effects

By: trharlan

trharlan — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 22:02:44 -0800

Sorry to be a pedant, but the sugars in apples and oranges are simple, not complex carbohydrates. That being said, they are both relatively low on the glycemic index (especially apples), and as such do not promote the fatigue-causing insulin spike common to refined grains, sugars, and white rice.

Personally, I've found that cottage cheese is the ultimate energy food. I ate it by the quart during college.

By: Quartermass

Quartermass — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 22:04:39 -0800

By: Gyan

Gyan — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 23:16:52 -0800

If you have access to a computer alongwith headphones, download sbagen and go from 8Hz-15Hz within a span of 20 minutes. It might work with speakers, but that's iffy.

By: rdr

rdr — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 23:32:31 -0800

Stay on a consistent sleep schedule. If you're just doing an occasional extended shift, then Bluetrain's advice is good. The other thing that will keep you awake is interesting work.

By: Space Coyote

Space Coyote — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 23:34:35 -0800

I'll third the water suggestion (said while sipping coffee.. oh well). Also tea works well because it also has a muscle relaxing property to it that counter-acts the jitters that some people get from coffee. And yeah, anything that will give you real energy is good, but don't eat the equivalent of a whole meal or all the blood will go to your stomach.

By: adrianhon

adrianhon — Fri, 09 Jul 2004 00:31:46 -0800

nicwolff: Where do you get your provigil from? Are you from the US? I have a bit of an academic interest in it and am wondering if it's freely available over there.

By: LimePi

LimePi — Fri, 09 Jul 2004 00:43:15 -0800

I'm suprised nobody has mentioned the importance of constant bright (preferably high-quality) lighting, which is important for less troublesome futzing with one's circadian rhythms.

also, if you take a nap before you pull the all-nighter, that helps reset your sleep control center, or whatever you wanna call the "nod train module" of the brain

By: humuhumu

humuhumu — Fri, 09 Jul 2004 02:51:38 -0800

Not having children. Particularly, not having children who wake up at 5.30 in the morning.

By: JanetLand

JanetLand — Fri, 09 Jul 2004 05:36:42 -0800

Laughter. If you're working in a group, tell silly jokes. In an office, set up mild practical jokes on the people who aren't there. If you're working alone, keep something handy that always makes you laugh hard -- a passage from a book, a bit from a movie, something, and refer to it when needed. The laughter will energize you.

By: LairBob

LairBob — Fri, 09 Jul 2004 06:30:11 -0800

Short naps--back in my software development days, I bought a chair for my office that was actually more of a sized-down futon couch. Not only was it very comfortable to sit in normally, but you could fold it flat and crash on it. I got it specifically to make it available for anyone who needed it during an all-nighter.

Unless you really really need to be conscious all night long, I've always found that getting an hour or so of rest around 3 or 4 in the morning is an enormous help.

By: bonehead

bonehead — Fri, 09 Jul 2004 11:31:34 -0800

IF you really need to be awake, I find moderate exercise does the trick. It's such a strong effect, in fact, that I have to be concious not to exercise too late in the evening, otherwise I'll have trouble droping off. A half-hour workout perks me up better than any drug (and feels less artificial) and keeps me awake for several hours.

By: ruwan

ruwan — Fri, 09 Jul 2004 12:14:00 -0800

Sugar Free RedBull.

There is a reason caffiene works. It block adenosine receptors in your brain. Adenosine is the (one of the many) by-product of metabolism, so by night time and you're tired, there's a lot of adenosine flying around. Block the receptors so adenosine can't interact with your neurons, and you won't feel tired.

However, don't do this too often, or you're leading down the path to addiction. Once in a while should be okay of course.

By: kindall

kindall — Fri, 09 Jul 2004 14:09:19 -0800

Vitamins.

By: greasepig

greasepig — Fri, 09 Jul 2004 15:47:08 -0800

Gingko Biloba

By: dong_resin

dong_resin — Fri, 09 Jul 2004 16:02:40 -0800

Weatgrass juice.
Initially gross, but highly effective.