What do you guys do to stay awake?
 

Taking short walks outside usually works sometimes for me. Music/internet radio seem to help a bit as well. But these don't lasts long. Neither does the candy/sweets/gum that I buy sometimes (however, they are useful during meetings!)
I believe that taking small naps is the best solution (15-30 minutes with sleep), but I'm often in situations where small naps is not an option.

I'm interested in hearing what you guys do. Office tips are wanted!

Energy drinks?

To be honest, making myself fall asleep is more of a problem than making myself stay awake. I haven't done any really long (i.e. > 24hrs) sessions in a few years, but I used to be able to do them regularly without issue.

At the office, I'm not tired, but I get restless and often take quick walks just to keep my mind fresh and focused.

Coffee doesn't help me anymore :(

This may only work for me, but being in a hot environment helps me stay awake. The colder it is the better I sleep, and oppositely the hotter it is the more I stay awake.

The hard part is staying awake after a short sleep. It is much easier to just skip sleep to begin with and catch up on it later. I don't find it hard to stay awake myself. Pretty naturally energetic.

Make sure you're in a well lit and preferrably noisy (music for example) environment. It helps for me, it feels more like daytime. Also, make sure you've got something to do. Staying awake with nothing to do is hard.

Last time I was awake for 42 hours.

The most interesting thing I tried was to play simple arpeggios on guitar - that possibly cleared my brain.

The rest was just enduring the headache and the pain of being awake for a long time.

A healthy amount of water might be of help too.

5-Hour Energy for me. Stuff works really good, even for longer than 5 hours. Perfect for me, since I hate the taste of coffee.

Coffee is my poison, but I can see that changing really soon. Occasionally I go off of it for a few months to a year, especially if I hit a really high 'required dose' of coffee a day (ex: 5 or more cups). Then I detox on green tea or something less caffeinated.

My dad has recently decided to swear by that. I'm not so sure about it...does it have any negative effects, like increased heart rate or things like that (like energy drinks) or is it totally different?

It can be habit forming if you use it for, like 10 straight days or more (like I had to at one point...But I got off it pretty easily after an off day where I didn't use it), but really no...No crash, no jitters, 4 calories, no sugar, very little caffeine, very "natural" energy (not hyper energy, like the other drinks I used to use -Rockstar and the Sobe ones-). Sometimes at the end of the day, I don't think it wears off completely, so I just go for a walk around the block to tire myself out. Oh and the taste is iffy, but it's grown on me. I'd definitely recommend trying it once. I've gotten two people in my office to convert to it.

Those five hour energy drinks don't do anything for me...

Lately, I've taken to using a light therapy box and melatonin supplements to better control my sleep schedule. Working the night shift, and coming home in the dark, I get conflicting day and night signals. Hopefully this will be able to sort them out.

And failing that, I can always fall back on good ol' Mountain Dew!

Coffee doesn't help me, either!

I just play my favorite game..like PES

They keep me awake :D

I hardly ever try to stay awake; when I'm tired, I go to bed. But I guess I've had some experience in the past; relatively uptempo or intricate music usually helps, and doing something like tapping your foot on the ground repeatedly (lol insane) can help. A bit of movement to keep you focused or somethin', I dunno the physics.

I think your mental state also really has an influence on how tired you are as well. For example, when I have a lot on my mind and am really excited or anticipating something I find it hard to sleep. When I am bored, with nothing on my mind and am really not looking forward to anything I get tired easier.

So if you are having trouble staying awake, maybe try to get yourself amped up for something. It won't work all the time, because you might not consistently be able to do it, but it works a lot for me. May not work for everyone though. Different things work for diff people.

Also a late-night exercise might give you some energy. You may think it will do the opposite and wear you out, but a nice workout really gets me going.

COFFEE! lots of coffee and espresso! that will usually make me stay awake.

in the car on a long trip = caffeine + blasting air conditioning, ever try to sleep when your freezing

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/7548/phillyfo7.png

I also hear blatant denial does wonders for keepings one spirits (and mind) up in the lowest of times.

A cousin of mine who stays in the US often asks us to buy her Extra Joss to keep here awake at work. The down side is that.. after the waking effect....you get VERY tired. I drank one once..... I didn't see the effect until I saw my bed. Slept like a stone. My brother drinks tea (not the herbal one). I..um have this immunity to caffeine...so the only way I can not sleep..is to make sure I am sitting up straight.

I don't drink coffee or energy drinks, so I just have 15-20, sometimes 1 hour naps to keep going overall. I have a friend of mine who has 3-4 hour rests every 8-10 sometimes 12 hours.

A whole lot of coke.

Caffeine gum works wonders.

The only way I can suggest is by using sheer willpower. That's how I managed to bugger up my sleeping patterns for about two years and that's why I can't sleep any earlier than 12 now. It may also be the reason I constantly look like someone punched me in both eyes.

SHE DON'T LIE

Seriously though... I drink coffee. I usually need at least ONE cup to even me out in the morning and a considerable multiple of that dose if I've been drinking.

Heck, I need something to get me asleep most of the time instead of staying awake. I drink no coffee nor any energy drinks of any kind. I don't want to get addicted to any kind of energy replenisher because in the end you'll need it every day at regular times otherwise you'll be not so much unlike a zombie craving for human brains and guts, except that it'll be energy drinks you'll be craving and not a humans intestinal system.

Nico nico douga, it's super effective! Unless your reason for staying awake is to get some work done.
Usually I try to sit in well-lit spaces, preferably in front of a bright monitor. It might strain on the eyes but it keeps me awake when needed.

I usually down 3 Red Bulls back to back to give me a 4 hour energy high that is equivalent to a bump of cocaine.

The comedown is just about the same, and you'll be grinding your teeth guaranteed within the first hour or so, but your ability to work and effectiveness is fucking amazing.

(Also I highly disregard usage of cocaine or any drugs of the sort. It does work wonders, but it will be noticeable by the constant sniffling and the mucus drips. Also you might end up getting into a vice addiction of wanting more and becoming somewhat dependant on it. )

Normally all I need is copious amounts of music, but in rare cases where I have tons of work and have to stay up I usually resort to the 5-hour energy drinks. Those things actually work incredibly well for me while coffee doesn't.

I don't like using them too much though.

Considering I work the third shift, learning to stay awake has become a pretty big priority. Now, I'm guessing you want to know how to stay awake when you're already tired. I usually try to sleep during the day to avoid "trying" to stay awake, but when I am tired, those sugary, jittery energy drinks work really well. Also, I wash my face with cold water every so often, and I keep my hair wet from that to try to feel cool as long as possible. That helps a lot.

Work starts at 4am for me, so this can be an issue for me too. Loud music (particularly if it has a fast beat) helps for me. Dr. Pepper is the other alternative. Not a ton of caffeine in it (at least compared to coffee or energy drinks), but enough to keep going.

As long as there is something to do to keep my mind occupied I can stay up for however long I need to.

Power Drive plus caffeine works for me. This combo is why I have to do my workouts in the afternoon if I want to get a good night's rest.

I don't even know, to be honest. Tea and caffeinated soft drinks do nothing for me, and I never have--and never will--go for an energy drink. I used to know a kid who would sit in class and twitch. He was constantly shaking his leg, moving around, and just generally twitching. Also, he lived on Monster. But yeah. Interestingly enough, honey chamomile makes me a bit more energetic instead of calm. Food just makes me sleepier, unless I'm snacking on sour gummy worms or something cold frozen. Naps are the worst for me. If I plan to take a nap, I'm essentially going to SLEEP. So I guess the two most effective things for me are willpower and music--not that they help much anyways.

I don't drink a lot of coffee so when i drink some i'm all nervous, i have nausea. In short coffee is a little bit too hard for my nerves, so i drink earl grey tea and i eat sweet things like candies or chocolate...

Aside from all sorts of amphetamines and its related salts I've taken through the past few years, if I ever need or, more commonly, want to stay awake I'll drink a good deal of coffee paired with a bunch of cigarettes. Any way you cut it, it's drugs doing the lion's share of the work.

I know that this is probably wreaking all sorts of havoc on my body, but I have an odd compulsion to not go to sleep from time to time, to stay awake and make use of my time. Once I do fall asleep, or if I'm very tired and have nothing weighing on my mind, I love to sleep, but it's getting there that's often that tough part for me.

I did not know what that was till I visited the link. My Girlfriend goes there all the time to catch up on shows and such not shown on normal cable.

Other than that I enjoy green tea most of the time, coffee every so often.

Well for the Zelda Marathons I have with my friends ever few weekends it's just bottles of Coke and the music of Koji Kondo

Doing this... Moreover making graphics, sigs ,watching family guy, the office, but in the day I can't resist I just drift off.

OMG YES. I AM AWAKE RIGHT NOW AT 6:19 AM IN THE MORNING BECAUSE IT'S FRIKKIN' HOT AND HUMID IN MY HOUSE AND WE HAVEN'T INSTALLED THE AC YET.

On a related topic, temperature also affects my ability to eat. I will become anorexic if it's over 100 degrees while I'll eat my weight if it's below 20.

The Cocaine energy drink keeps me awake for a while. Other than that though: Anime, reading, Megadeth, and video games.

Those are the tools I use to stay away.

OK guys. I know it's a lot to ask of a board full of anime and video game nerds but the purpose of the topic was to find out what you do to stay awake when doing something productive, not what you stay awake doing while basting in your own depravity until 5 am.

Well, even while doing something productive, the Cocaine energy drink helps keep me awake and focused on what needs to be done, and when I'm rarely found without some kind of music music playing around me when I'm doing some kind of work, it just helps keep me focused. I've also found that when I used to do homework that taking short breaks to read a book or Manga, or that having tv or anime on in the background at least made the task more bearable and less suicidal thought inducing.

When I have worked related to the university, I would go to my university's 24/7 computer lab with an energy drink. A can of double shot Rock Star with bunch of loud Indians and Chinese can keep you up for days.

I have the same problem. I use to be on a 48 hour awake ~8-12 hour sleep schedule a while back and I think that really messed up my sleeping patterns. It usually takes me several hours before I can fall asleep...

I suppose though just staying active, and not laying down (or even really sitting down for long periods) would help.

Well, he didn't specifically state that in the first post, only giving hints to it.

He mentioned using gum or candy, but said they don't last too long? How about those giant jawbreakers? Those suckers take forever to dissolve and while they do ya' know you'll be trying to break it, probably hurting your teeth among the way and thereby keeping you awake. :tpg:

But I never used a jawbreaker. I just channel my energy if I know I'll be awake for over 24 hours. It's not very healthy, but it gets me through some of the tougher times...

Typically I listen to music at obscene volumes or resort to drugs. A prescription for adderral is the shit for staying awake!

Just keep your mind occupied on something that interests you. Analyze the shit out of something you never put deep thought into. Hell intentionally play songs that annoy you to non end inside your head. Just so long as the brain stays active the body should follow.

Course a ton of caffeine doesn't hurt. Keeping your blood sugar up will help as well. You don't have to pound sugary food or anything like I usually do just you know keep some food in your system so your metabolism keeps running at a decent rate.

And if all that fails bang the crap out of your knee on something. It won't be pleasant but the pain should perk you right up if your not used to it.

Any sort of raw foods keeps me energized. Lots of fruits, vegetables, etc. Something to continue to snack on all day keeps me awake. If all else fails, orange juice :D Something about it just perks me up (the fact the only other time of day i ever drink it is when I wake up, so maybe its a bell ringer)
That, and stretching every so often, even if its just a quick neck stretch.

A good serving of Protein shake with a bunch of fruits does me plenty good!

Listen to loud music :o

Play starcraft with Juanzen and ness.

Coffee generally works for me, even if I take it at, say, 10 AM. Heh.

Drink alot of water and watch my dvd sets. I've got 2 disney movies, 5 seasons of QAF, 2 of SPN and S2 of Grey's {the whole Izzie/Denny thing ya know}. The love keeps me up.

does anyone know if the "matchsticks in the eyes" thing works? or maybe taping your eyelids up or something brutal like that...

Besides caffeine, doing something that really interests me or gets the mind working will keep me awake. Taking on a photoshop project or playing my 360 or even pvping in WoW will all do the trick. Sit up, too. Closer you to get to being horizontal, harder it seems to get to stay vertical, hehe.

Monster tastes terrible, but I do like drinking AMP. Although sometimes AMP doesn't keep me up. I noticed that when I go on a movie/anime watching binge that lasts until 5 or so in the morning I tend to be able to stay awake. When I need to stay up all night just to finish homework or work on notes then I find that (if possible which is rare) pulling an all nighter in the library helps me. Regardless if I have AMP or not. I just need some snack to chow down on.

Naps may work with me; however, if the process becomes monotone I tend to not focus after awhile of napping. So if I go to the library everyday and take a break to nap, by about Wednesday or Thursday I'll probably procrastinate with going back to work for another extra 15 minutes.

When I do successfully pull an all nighter, it's weird. Normally when this happens I wake up around 5 or 6 in the morning. I'm up all day and successfully pull an all nighter. The following day I'll still be wide awake (running on AMP and lack of sleep). The time I go back to sleep will be at 3 in the morning, the latest. A couple of times this has failed though .__o

I have been a night worker for two years, so staying awake usually isn't a problem. When I need to, I sleep 2-3 hours in the afternoon. Energy drinks influence badly my heart rate...

Otherwise, when i'M tired, I sleep. There's no point on forcing my body to stay awake for whatever reason

Drink lots and lots of coffee!!!
If your hand isn't shaking you haven't got enough.

I recently tried these cucumber pads that work miracles as far as keeping your eyes open. Perfect for those 8am classes which no one can stay awake in.

Well I'm struggling at the moment to actually get to sleep, but on those odd occasions where I do actually need to stay awake, I always find keeping busy helps. If you just sit there, say, watching a movie, or typing away at the computer, it's not going to help at all.

So at 4am, just randomly decide to start spring cleaning. Perfect solution.

i work by night

Uh. I get that you're new, new guy, but just as a head's up. This sort of post is entirely unacceptable. It needs way more substance. Keep this sort of thing up and they'll toss you out for general uselessness.

As for staying awake, I've never found a really effective method beyond sheer will power. Caffeine doesn't keep me up. Energy drinks are no dice. I find a shower will keep me awake a bit longer, as will a quick run. I imagine it's the endorphins.

http://g.photos.cx/weirdo-fd.jpg

I think I really know what keeps Nagash awake.

(Also, I remember having an energy drink the other day when I was feeling sort of tired. Didn't do a damn thing; it might have actually had a reverse effect. Perhaps the sugar-high I got on was so ephemeral, I crashed straightaway)

Rock Band and sliced apples.

i find biting my lip or snapping about 3 tight rubber bands around my right wrist everytime i'm about to doze off or zone out works well enough
get's me just angry enough to be motivated to do some actual work instead of daydreaming about the outside world....
or playing WoW.....
lol

That's all far too complicated.

Just hire someone with a hammer to stand next to you and hit you when you're about to fall asleep.

...

Just joking of course. Anyways, you're not the only one with whom coffee doesn't work. I find myself having the same problems, I think:p

If you're trying to stay awake at the office, I'd try to see if you can work, standing up. Also, make sure you're in a well lite area. If you have to stay seated, sitting on a core training ball can help. Good luck.

I'm sure to get an infraction for this, but why the hell are you bumping all these old threads? Find something new to discuss please, or gtfo.

Splash really cold water on your face.

Pretty much this. Every night I lay in bed for at least 30-45 minutes before I actually pass out. It's quite annoying and throws off my "hope I get 8 hour-7 1/2, well no 7 hours" of sleep.

I don't drink coffee, so I'd usually go with coke and chocolate. Wetting the corners of your eyes is something my Grandpa told me, and it works temporarily.

I just watch tv and drink alot of energy drinks, or I listen to music. I can't fall asleep with noise.

Easy: Don't fall asleep. http://forums.smirkinchicken.com/ima...es/rimshot.gif

Actually I find it easiest if I keep myself occupied with activities, that take active mental thinking, such as doing chores, playing certain kinds of video-games, walking around, and even exercising. Caffeine and the ilk will keep you going for a little but, but then you have that crash and suddenly your bed looks like the best thing ever. You could also try movies like other suggested, but that means you're basically sitting down for an hour or two which doesn't help in keeping yourself from falling alseep, so make sure its a loud, action packed movie.