rpbird's Journal: Tips and Hints: My Formula for Staying Awake

Follow these rules and you, too, can stay up indefinitely (or at least until the hallucinations set in).

1. Nothing works better than exercise, short intense bursts of it. One job, during breaks I ran up and down the stairs, five flights. I was a little sweaty by the end of my shift, but nothing a shower can't solve.

2. Consume a small amount of spicy snack food, like hot taco chips or spicy crackers.

3. Avoid caffeine. It just makes me nervous, so I end up nervous and sleepy at the same time. This is not a good combination.

4. Drink lots of ice-cold tea or cold water, especially because having to piss regularly is a wonderful wake-up call.

5. Use large amounts of cinnamon or spearmint hard candy. Altoids works well. Similarly flavored gum also works.

6. Eat small amounts of fruit: apple or orange slices work best.

These simple rules got me through a long line of late-night jobs and graduate school.

Things Not To Do:
Make No Mistakes, Sleep Awaits the Foolish

1. No meals! Hunger works for you, a full stomach works against you.

2. No dairy! Not even coffee creamer! Any dairy, even my favorite food, yogurt, can put you out like a light.

3. Don't just sit there. Get up from the desk every hour or two.