Even though sleep is one of our most basic needs for a healthy mind and body, in some cases it may be necessary not to sleep or you may be going through a period where you do not want to sleep. In order to study more during exam periods, not to have problems while driving or your job may require you to sacrifice your sleep. For this reason, there are methods that will help you quickly get rid of the sudden sleepiness. Of course, you should not forget to get enough sleep to rest in order not to have health problems later. So, which are the most effective methods of inducing sleep?
Clean Air
Ventilate the environment you are in, fresh and cool air will help you sleep and can quickly disperse your sleep. When you wake up or do not want to sleep, you can ventilate the environment you are in as much as possible, go to airy places such as balconies, in front of windows, or go outside for a short time.
Take a Walk
It is generally not recommended to exercise before sleep because it is thought to affect the time it takes to fall asleep and stay asleep. However, since our goal is to wake up, sports activities can help you stay awake in a healthy way. Also, if walking is not enough to wake up, you can make your body wake up quickly by exercising.
Caffeine Before Sleep
Consuming caffeine without sugar or milk before bedtime can help prevent you from falling asleep. Caffeine is a stimulant that can increase alertness and delay the onset of sleep. When you consume caffeine, it is absorbed into your bloodstream and travels to your brain, where it blocks the effects of adenosine, a chemical that causes sleepiness. This results in increased alertness, so caffeine is often used to help people stay awake. The effects of caffeine can vary depending on factors such as your individual metabolism and the amount of caffeine consumed. The effects of caffeine can last for several hours, but it is recommended to be careful as increasing the amount to avoid falling asleep can affect your heart rate.
Take a Cold Shower
Taking a cold shower before sleep increases your blood pressure, gives you vitality, increases alertness and stimulates the body, making it harder to fall asleep. Although cold showers may sound crazy when you first hear them, they are an effective method. Taking a cold shower directly will be difficult for you because you are not used to it, so it is recommended that you do it with warm water and get your body used to it. If you cannot take a shower, you can extend your wakefulness by washing your face and neck with cold or even ice water at regular intervals.
Chewing Gum
Chewing gum to avoid falling asleep is one of the least known methods, but it is among the most effective because your stomach stays awake with the chewing action, so you can delay falling asleep. The chewing action helps your brain stay open. There have been nights when you can't sleep because you're hungry, the stimulating effect of the stomach can help your brain shut down later. Chewing gum increases blood flow and heart rate, which makes you feel more awake.
Engage in Stimulating Activities
In order to avoid falling asleep, you need to ensure that your brain is stimulated and alive. For this, you can increase your mobility or take a break from the work you want to keep you awake and do things that will distract you. If you are interested, you can watch action or horror series or movies, but you should not strain your eyes by looking at the screen for too long. Eye strain causes your eyelids to close and you may suddenly find yourself asleep. In addition to these, if you can, playing an instrument, dancing, cooking and playing mind games such as sudoku and chess will stimulate you and therefore your brain and help you stay awake.
Bright Light
Having a bright environment also helps you not to fall asleep. Dim and calm lights make you feel calm and peaceful and will make you fall asleep. However, you should avoid very bright lights to protect your eye health. High brightness can tire your eyes and increase your sleepiness.
Energy Drink
It is among the methods that will delay your sleep due to the high amount of caffeine it contains, but there are points to be careful about. It may vary depending on the type and amount of energy drink or coffee you drink, but 3-4 hours should pass between two drinks. Consuming it at short intervals can have harmful effects on your health. Although it is not certain that it causes diseases such as heart, sugar, blood pressure, diabetes, it should be noted. It is one of the methods not recommended among sleep inducing methods.
Listening to Music
It may help you fall asleep, but of course this may vary depending on your musical taste. If Turkish music prevents you from concentrating while studying or working on your job, lively foreign music can help you increase your energy. If you do not like lively or foreign music, you can try to keep your body awake with classical music or instrumental music.
Avoid Heavy Foods
Heavy foods can make you feel heavy and make you sleepy. Consuming light snacks can help you wake up. Both chewing and keeping your stomach working will help you stay awake. In addition, fatty foods, which we call heavy, increase our blood sugar and make us sleepy, so it is recommended to avoid heavy foods.
Make a Nap
Sleep is one of the things that a person needs both physiologically and psychologically. It is very important for the body to renew and rest. For this reason, staying without sleep for a long time will tire you both physically and mentally and prevent you from focusing on the work you need to do. Sleeping for half an hour to an hour will make you feel good and help you focus on the work you are doing.
Adrenalin
It is a hormone released by the adrenal glands in response to stress or excitement. It is often referred to as the "fight or flight" hormone because it prepares the body to respond to a threat or danger. The release of adrenaline can have a significant effect on sleep. When adrenaline is released, it can cause a heightened state of arousal and alertness, making it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. Adrenaline can also increase heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, all of which can further disrupt sleep. However, it is not recommended because it carries too many health risks.
Consuming Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juices
It makes you feel good thanks to the natural sugar it contains, your body secretes dopamine, which prevents you from falling asleep. In addition, the abundant vitamin C and antioxidants it contains help you feel refreshed by eliminating your feeling of fatigue. Although it is not the most preferred due to its naturalness, it is one of the most recommended methods.