How to get rid of excessive sleepiness at work. Ways to combat sleep at work

What to do to avoid falling asleep at work?

Life decided to explore all available experience in this area and turned to traditional and oriental medicine, and also asked for advice from those professionals for whom sleeping at work can lead to irreversible consequences.

Sleep is one of the basic human needs. When we fall asleep, the body enters a phase REM sleep, in which heart rhythms change little compared to the waking state, but eyeballs come into strong motion. Then comes the slow-wave sleep phase, when the heart rate slows and body temperature decreases. Unfortunately, for everyone who works in an office, drowsiness can occur not only due to lack of sleep at night, but also from improper lighting, too much lunch, and even gadgets, neurologists say, can be its indirect cause.

Doctors' advice

Doctors generally advise traditionally to combat sleep at work: stick to a schedule, that is, go to bed and wake up at the same time, open the window and breathe fresh air or drink strong tea or coffee. But is this really all that humanity could come up with? No, there are a number of other methods that you can try for yourself.

If it happens that you really want to sleep at work, then you can use easily accessible medications. In particular, we can mention piracetam and other drugs where it is active substance(they stimulate physical and mental activity). One tablet in the morning, and sleep will go away, advises neurologist Mikhail. - There is another proven way - to eat dried fruits and nuts. When the jaw works continuously, the body cannot enter the sleep phase.

Don't eat too much at lunch. In the afternoon hours a person is especially prone to nap liveliness, A generous reception food further increases the desire to sleep. Avoid carbohydrates (buns, chocolates). To maintain performance, opt for proteins and plant food(for example, meat with vegetables). If you don't want to fall asleep at work, sit down facing the window. Natural light inhibits the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. When working in the evening or at night, place a switched-on lamp in front of you. It is best to use fluorescent lamps, their spectrum is closest to that of the sun, so they create a good “anti-sleep” effect, says Roman Buzunov, Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation, neurologist-somnologist, head of the Center for Sleep Medicine at the Barvikha Clinical Sanatorium.

Advice from representatives of alternative medicine

Alternative medicine is becoming increasingly popular. Experts in this field recommend various acupressures or all kinds of breathing exercises.

I am categorically against drinking coffee or trendy “energy drinks” from an aluminum can. There are also ways to shake yourself up that are harmless to the body. This is, first of all, acupressure or acupressure, which improve blood circulation and stimulate wakefulness, says reflexologist Larisa.

So, the following measures can be taken (in combination or separately):

Lightly tap the crown of your head with your fingers (no more than 30 seconds);

Knead back neck (no more than 60 seconds);

Click on the point that is between the big and index fingers hands or under kneecap(press with all your might for no more than a minute);

Massage in the area of the bridge of the nose - in a circular motion, 30-60 seconds;

Rub your ears firmly with your hands so that ears there was a feeling of heat;

Stand up straight, do full breath, hold your breath as long as possible and exhale forcefully through your mouth.

Yoga Tips

The easiest way to cope with a sleep attack is to massage your hands: start with your little finger and knead one finger at a time. According to eastern tradition, there are resuscitation points on our body. Drowsiness can be driven away by applying sharp pressure with the tip of your nail. thumb on the pad of any other finger - you need to press for 1-2 minutes. Rest assured, after this the sleep will disappear,” advises yogi Valery with 10 years of experience.

Pilot tips

Most The best way Fighting sleep means getting a good night's sleep before a difficult night flight. This, of course, will not help 100%, but you will definitely feel better. If it does start to “chop” at night, there are several recipes that I recommend: this or strong green tea, or “alarm clock” - strong coffee (preferably boiled) and a glass of cola, which together give the effect of an energy drink. And I’ll say right away that it’s much safer than drinking store-bought energy drinks: tested. There is also a way: try to maintain a conversation with the commander on any topic, the main thing is to constantly chat and tell jokes. If it’s really bad and nothing helps, then go to the toilet and wash yourself more often cold water, - the pilot of the plane Artyom shares his advice.

If you want to sleep so much that your eyes get dark, then, in my opinion, nothing will help except a reboot for 10-15 minutes. If I go on a long night flight, I use the so-called old-fashioned way to cheer up: brown bread crackers, toast with coffee or sunflower seeds,” says another pilot.

Electric train driver advice

To cheer myself up, I drink tea, not very strong, but with dark chocolate. You can also chew mint chewing gum, or not eating anything to make you feel hungry. This helps you forget about sleep. A great way to relieve drowsiness is to tickle the palate, advises the driver.

Trucker's advice

I have a proven method for combating drowsiness. I stop every 300 km, get out of the car and stretch my muscles: a couple of squats, push-ups and jumping jacks. So no one has canceled physical education, and you can also do a couple in the office physical exercise, - Sergei, a truck driver with 20 years of experience, shares his experience.

Or a periodic desire to fall asleep at a time not intended for sleep.

The causes of drowsiness are varied. This is the main symptom of diseases such as narcolepsy, apnea syndrome in a dream, Kleine-Levin syndrome, neuropsychiatric diseases. Drowsiness may be a sign of endocrine and of cardio-vascular system. Also drowsiness - frequent by-effect from some medications. Therefore, if drowsiness has become particularly annoying, this is a good reason to consult a doctor.

Among the everyday and most common causes of drowsiness is lack of sunlight, from which we suffer most in autumn and winter, sleep deficiency, psychological reasons, including boredom, stress and life's troubles.

Anyone can cope with drowsiness. Here are a few simple tips that will help:

1. Let there be light! To compensate for the lack of sunlight, try buying fluorescent lamps. Pay attention to the required wavelength - 420 nanometers. Regular incandescent lamps are not suitable.

In addition, as soon as you wake up, immediately turn on the light in the room, even if you really want to sit in semi-darkness. The eyes will quickly get used to the light, but the brain will be able to recover from sleep faster and concentrate better.

2. Climb! The morning should be cheerful. On your alarm clock, choose a melody that will not annoy you, but will make you get up immediately after the first ring. Don’t give yourself time to “lounge”, but rather stretch well, do a couple of abdominal swings and run to the shower.

3. Charger. Light exercise stress after sleep will help restore the ability to concentrate and improve attention. If you feel sleepy in the evening after work, but still have to get home, run up the stairs a couple of times. If you have to drive home, make several walking circles around the parking lot. It will be easier to concentrate on driving, and night sleep will become stronger.

Perhaps the cause of drowsiness was stress or vitamin deficiency, or perhaps it was chronic sleep disorders. There are diseases such as - when a person can fall asleep at absolutely any moment, and sleep suffocation is a cessation of breathing during sleep, often unnoticeable for a person, but greatly spoiling the quality of his rest.

What is drowsiness that occurs at a completely inappropriate time is probably not worth telling. Everyone at least once in their life has experienced sleep attacks during the day at work, while studying, at important meeting. Where does drowsiness come from, and how to deal with sleep at work?

Reasons for falling asleep at work

The list of factors that provoke the desire to sleep at inopportune times is endless, but the main ones are:

lack of rest;
a hearty meal at lunchtime;
peculiar biorhythms;
nature of the work.

Most often, drowsiness haunts those who get little rest. Today's rhythm of life requires maximum output from a person. In order to get everything done, he usually neglects sleep for current affairs. At first, fatigue doesn’t make itself felt too much. Gradually accumulating in the body, it literally “turns off” a person on the go. People suffering from lack of sleep are irritable, depressed, lack enthusiasm, often get sick and constantly want to sleep.

In most cases, the struggle with sleep in the workplace begins after lunch. By filling the stomach to capacity with nourishing food, we force blood to accumulate in the stomach for digestion of what we eat and transportation nutrients. At the same time, blood flows away from the brain, it receives less oxygen, and therefore tends to go into hibernation.

Whether you know about your biorhythms or not, they still work. Studies show that a person experiences the highest increase in activity in morning hours, from approximately 10:00 to 12:00, and from 13:00 to 16:00 there is an intense decline in activity. Therefore, it is after lunch that employees are usually prone to sleep attacks. But by the end of the working day their enthusiasm returns.

How more convenient conditions work, the more monotony there is in it, the harder it is to fight the surging drowsiness. Sometimes the atmosphere of activity is so comfortable that you want to sleep at the mere thought of a warm office.

How to overcome sleepiness

Having understood the causes of sleep attacks at inopportune times, you can look for ways to get rid of them. “Grocery” tips:

Try to have a light lunch and a light snack. Instead of one solid meal, it is better to have several light snacks throughout the day. This way you won’t overload your stomach, your body will always have enough nutrients for normal operation brain, and a slight feeling of hunger will have a tonic effect.

Add an invigorating drink. This could be coffee, tea and, in extreme cases, energy drinks. For toning, coffee is usually used, which is praised for its invigorating caffeine. However, there is a lot of it in green tea, which increases activity for about two hours. You can enhance the effect by adding jasmine to the drink. Many people drink energy drinks. They have a prolonged effect - up to five hours.

But we must remember that energy drinks should not be drunk regularly, should not exceed the recommended dose, and should not be taken for certain diseases: high blood pressure, heart problems and other disorders.

Garlic is a great invigorator. Three to four hours after eating a few slices of the vegetable, you definitely won’t want to sleep. The fact is that the enzymes present in it stimulate the heart, which more actively pumps blood. The only drawback of this method is the specific aroma that lasts for a long time after eating garlic. Therefore, if you work with people, in a team, you should abandon it.

There are several other proven methods:

If you find it very difficult to sleep, give yourself a timeout at lunchtime and take a 15-20 minute nap. After such a light siesta, you will feel much better.

All of the above methods have only a temporary effect. You can achieve long-term vigor at work only if you do your favorite job, which you want to go to every morning. Set important goals in life. For their sake, you yourself, without additional incentives, will work all day despite drowsiness and laziness.

The problem of sleep in the workplace is associated with both normal physiological and pathological reasons. 12 useful ways, which will tell you how not to fall asleep at work - these are medications to increase vigor and other effective means.

Causes of drowsiness

Many people complain of increased sleepiness, literally saying: “I fall asleep at work.” First of all, there is a need to find out the cause of this phenomenon and then understand whether it is worth seeing a doctor or whether you can solve the sleep problem yourself.

Physiological factors of drowsiness

This group of reasons includes normal phenomena that people have encountered:

Poor room, stagnant air - because of this, not enough oxygen reaches the brain, and it works worse. The result is a desire to sleep that is difficult to overcome.
Objective features of human biorhythms. The change in activity from 10 to 12 hours (first half of the day) usually occurs precisely at afternoon– i.e. in the interval of 14-15 hours. Starts to want to take a nap or rest.
Overcoming lethargy and coping with how to stop sleeping at work is difficult after a heavy lunch. Blood flows to organs digestive system, the brain works worse, and the person begins to want to relax.
There is a constant desire to fall asleep due to the monotonous nature of office activities. To overcome this feeling of sleep, take breaks for 3-4 minutes and, if possible, change the activity.

Getting rid of such factors leads to a gradual normalization of sleep. However, if you begin to feel sleepy frequently, and the usual measures do not help, other reasons may be at work.

Pathological signs

Such factors are combined under common name Hypersomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by a significant increase in its duration compared to the norm. The syndrome is associated with mental disorders, diseases, injuries.

The norm and characteristics of sleep depend on specific person. Therefore, it is impossible to make a diagnosis on your own in order to begin appropriate treatment. In case of prolonged violations, consult a doctor.

12 ways to combat sleepiness

You can overcome sleepiness at work using a large number of techniques. Get rid of the feeling of fatigue by simple means, the most common of which are discussed below.

Psychological attitudes

An effective way to combat sleep at work and also helps relieve fatigue - application psychological attitudes. This is the most original method of how to get rid of sleep at work, because everyone comes up with specific recipes on their own. IN general case The rules boil down to the fact that you should create a positive atmosphere and properly set yourself up for the working day.

Distracting the brain helps a lot - for example, surrounding yourself with interesting objects, books, beautiful figurines, pens that evoke pleasant associations. You can “reward” yourself for fighting sleep and take a 15-minute walk.

Invigorating scents, essential oils

It is known that smells have the ability to invigorate human body. This essential oils plant-based:

needles;
carnation;
thyme;
cinnamon;
lemon;
coriander;
mint;
nutmeg;
grapefruit;
May rose;
cardamom;
camphor;
bergamot;
caraway.

To spray the oil, use a special diffuser or aroma lamp. Apply 4-5 drops and turn on the device. After a few minutes, the aroma fills the room, creating a pleasant atmosphere and driving away sleep.

When choosing a specific scent, they are guided by their feelings. People with allergies should be careful bronchial asthma, heart diseases.

Physical education minute

A simple warm-up helps you feel invigorated and stop nodding off. You can simply walk, take quick steps, or even jog. They often jump, squat, or even do push-ups. Exercise should be moderately intense so that the body can overcome drowsiness.

Sour fruits

The effect of acid on oral cavity leads to a sharp increase in saliva production. Thanks to this, the brain is activated, which allows you to overcome drowsiness. You can use any sour fruit - apples, a slice of lemon, grapefruit and others.

Loud sounds and music

Music has beneficial influence person and helps solve the problem of sleep in the workplace. The main condition is that the sounds should be loud, and the music should be cheerful and invigorating. Monotonous melodies and slow rhythms that put you to sleep are not allowed.

Listen to music not too loudly and moderately quietly so that it is pleasant to the ear. The main goal of such procedures is to cheer up emotionally, get inspired, after which you can start working again.

You should not listen to a tune that is too loud, as the brain will begin to get tired, and the person may fall even more asleep. On the contrary, it is better to turn on the music not too loudly.

Maintaining sleep and eating habits

This is a key requirement, the observance of which has a beneficial effect on the body as a whole. It comes down to the following rules:

You should go to sleep and wake up at the same time so that your body gets used to the same rhythm.
If sleep is prolonged, it is better to still wake up at the appointed time so that the night does not become sleepless.
Eating food at the same time ensures proper flow digestive processes, fine tuning of human biological rhythms.
Both diet and diet are important. Eating protein foods, vegetables, fruits, and cereals provides the body with energy for the whole day. At the same time, sweet dishes provide only a short-term effect. It is advisable to choose milk and dairy products (cottage cheese, yogurt, cheese and others) as a source of carbohydrates.

If you can’t get into the mode on your own, and you have constant problems falling asleep at night, it’s better not to get carried away with sleeping pills. It is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Energetic drinks

The invigorating effect of tea and coffee is known to every person in the fight against sleep. It is too good method in the fight against sleep. You can also use special energy drinks, but their use should not become a habit.

You should not overuse coffee and tea - normally drink no more than 4 cups a day. In the case of artificial energy drinks, it is important to understand that it is better to abstain from them. If a person suffers from diseases of the digestive system, energy drinks are not suitable.

Avoiding overeating at lunch

If you get too full, the blood flow will rush to the stomach and intestines. As a result, the brain is not supplied with blood as well and functions worse. Should not be consumed a large number of food and especially heavy foods, with big amount fat Along with recommendations against sleeping at work, you should also heed the following recommendation: do not use confectionery and sweet.

A great way to cheer yourself up is to hold a small piece of ice on your tongue. Constantly feeling the cooling, the brain works more intensely. Thanks to this, sleep recedes.

Invigorating self-massage

There are points on the surface of the body, the activation of which invigorates the body and, as a result, drives away sleep. This effective method How to avoid falling asleep at work. You can do a massage by rubbing several areas:

crown;
palms ( inner side), especially the point between the index finger and thumb;
points 2 fingers below the knees;
earlobes.

The massage is done independently, with light circular movements, until you feel pleasant warmth. You can rub several areas at the same time. The duration of the procedure is 4-5 minutes. Thanks to stimulation active points blood flow increases and organs begin to work faster. The brain is also activated, so the body becomes alert.

Stirlitz method

This is a conditional name accessible way how to prevent the onset of drowsiness. The recommendation of intelligence officer Maxim Maksimovich Isaev comes down to the formula: 20 minutes of afternoon sleep allows you to get rid of fatigue and stop wanting to sleep during the day.

The main condition here is to know when to stop. Sleeping at work should not turn into a protracted procedure when it will be difficult for the body to wake up from the sleep state. If you ensure that the procedure is short-term, the effect will become noticeable.

Ventilation and bright light

An affordable method that works effectively in different cases. If indoors heat, lack of oxygen, processes in the brain slow down, which is why a person begins to feel sleepy. This is why it is important to maintain the correct microclimate: the indoor temperature should be in the range of 18-21 o C.

Bright light also gives strength and distracts from drowsiness. However, here it should be taken into account that the flow should not blind the eyes, because otherwise the performance will decrease.

Being in an uncomfortable place

Taking a walk and being in an unusual place distracts the brain from its normal daily routine. For example, they come to another department, communicate with unfamiliar people - i.e. consciously immerse themselves in a situation of small, controlled stress. A switch occurs, anti-stress mechanisms are activated, due to which the body does not want to sleep.

Lunch naps as a means of combating drowsiness

During lunch, a person regains strength, starts long processes digestion, which takes a lot of the body’s energy. If you want to sleep, you can cheer yourself up at work. Another approach is the opposite: give the body a rest during the afternoon nap, which allows you to eliminate weakness and relieve drowsiness.

Japanese experience in combating sleep at work

In Japan they use a similar practice called "inemuri". Society encourages short naps during the day because they allow you to perform well and overcome fatigue. The Japanese adhere to certain rules:

A person must maintain the appearance of participation in the work process - i.e. pretend that he is involved. For example, listening to your boss at a meeting.
The fight against sleep in the workplace occurs in accordance with the hierarchy of employees. For example, a manager has the right to sleep with his subordinates, but not vice versa.

Siesta or midday nap

In countries with hot climates, siesta is one of the long-standing traditions. The siesta should be short (up to half an hour). It helps ward off drowsiness and is an excellent way to avoid falling asleep at work. An afternoon nap helps to invigorate and recuperate well for further activities. This practice is common in Southern Europe and Latin America.

When to use medications

In some cases, the struggle to stay awake at work and get rid of weakness during the lunch period will not be successful. Then they consult a doctor who prescribes the use of medications.

Biostimulants

Biological stimulants include oils:

mint;
lemon;
orange;
grapefruit;
coniferous trees;
ginger;
sandalwood;
bergamot.

Coniferous tree oils (fir, cedar, pine) have a strong invigorating effect.

Medicines

TO medicines include tablets:

"Modafinil";
"Longdaisin."

Use according to instructions, but only in accordance with the recommendation of a doctor.

Complex supplements are used that improve immunity, help cope with fatigue and serve additional measure among tips on how to stay awake at work.

In this way, lethargy at the workplace can be driven away in simple ways. The main condition is to accurately identify the cause and draw appropriate conclusions. If no measure produces results, they visit a doctor who makes a specific diagnosis and develops a course of treatment.

Session and can't get anything done? Of course, if people could do more things in a day, they would. But since this is not possible, time needs to be saved. How? Typically, when a student saves time, he does so at the expense of sleep.
The decision is logical, and sometimes there is no other way out. But then it appears little problem: When we don't sleep, our body somehow doesn’t consult with us about how much we still have to study, and signals that it’s time for us to retire. And this signal is the state when we want to sleep .
The desire to go to bed is one of those desires that does not always have a very strong influence on a person’s decisions. If you had enough sleep (8-9 hours of sleep) before going without sleep for one night, most likely you will then want to sleep for about 2-3 hours, starting from the moment you usually go to bed. And then the body will reconcile itself and wait patiently for the evening next day. If you didn’t get enough sleep or, on the contrary, slept too long (more than 9 hours), then most likely the sleepless regime will be quite difficult for you. However, everything is solvable and you can do without much violence to your body, however, you can get what you want. Fortunately, during the existence of the human race, the problem of “how not to fall asleep” was solved by a large number of people, and often solved successfully.

One of the most common methods of staying awake is drinking coffee. It must be said that the method is most often quite effective, however, harmful. Often taking coffee drinks can end various diseases Moreover, coffee is an addictive drug. Thus, the absence of the usual cup of coffee in the morning often ruins the whole day. However, coffee can be used. But not at the moment when you need to do, do, do and not fall asleep. If you really want to sleep, then my observations show that coffee only aggravates the situation and slows down thinking. A state comes when you don’t want to sleep, but you can’t do anything, so you can “recharge” with coffee not at night, but in the evening. Around 7-8 pm. Then the effect of one cup can last for a long time(until one or two in the morning).
Another fashionable and in a dangerous way is a drink energy drinks. In general, they are similar in effect to coffee, and if you consume a lot of them at once, they most likely will not help, but, on the contrary, you will have a desire to do anything but do anything. However this good way Don't sleep when you're already completely asleep. By the way, keep in mind that such drinks tend to fizzle out, so if you open a can, you need to drink it right away, or pour it somewhere into a bottle that can be closed, otherwise in an hour or two your energy drink will turn into a pitiful semblance of lemonade.
Another harmful way to not sleep is any carbonated drinks. Coca-Cola or Pepsi, Sprite, Fanta and other highly carbonated drinks work well. You can simply drink a little bit every hour or half an hour. If not abused, then they support general state activity. But here you need to know when to stop, because they are not only harmful, but there is also a chance of drinking too much, and, as they say, a full belly is deaf to teaching.
Now about less harmful ways don't sleep.
If you need to wake up in the morning, or you just didn’t get enough sleep and the day is so sleepy, then this is the best help something sweet. It also helps if you need to think actively.
One of the wonderful ways to wake up is chocolate. A small piece of dark (necessarily black, the other works as just sweet) chocolate, and your brain begins to think, even if you haven’t gotten enough sleep for a long time and you really want to sleep. But, unfortunately, chocolate depletes in the same way as coffee, and often this method does not work. But at the same time, chocolate perfectly supports the effect of coffee, so they can be combined, using one or the other. It will be much better than just drinking or eating one thing.
Tea- another good way to wake up. Sweet tea is even better. By the way, sweet tea also helps overcome hunger.
Salty, spicy is a food that can help you be more active. However, you shouldn’t get carried away; you can eat too much. But overall, a couple of pieces pickled cucumber often wakes you up much better than three cups of coffee. Staying awake also helps salted cheese, pickled mushrooms (just a little) or sauerkraut.
And here Fatty and heavy foods, on the contrary, make you sleepy. Therefore, if there is a sleepless night ahead, it is better to eat cucumber and tomato salad. They are fresh and juicy enough to give you energy, but at the same time they will not make you feel heavy and want to sleep (unless, of course, they are in a bowl and they are not with mayonnaise). Other vegetables and fruits work the same way. If you want something more harmful, you can eat sandwich with smoked sausage And fresh cucumber. Refreshing and delicious.
But besides taking the medicine internally, other actions help you stay awake.
Walk around the room circulates blood throughout the body. Even if she's just walking around a chair. You can also do a couple (!) exercises. But not so much that you get tired, but just to warm up.
If thoughts don't want to think, you can stretch your fingers, crush your ears, neck. If someone can stretch your back, that’s very good. But it is desirable that the body warms up strongly enough so that it even hurts a little. Then the effect lasts longer.
You can go wash with cold or hot water. But not warm. You can also take cold, hot or cold and hot shower . Which one exactly depends on you personally. If you use it often, you will understand which shower you need most at a particular moment in time.
Another good way is Wash your hands with soap up to the elbow. Less drastic than a shower, but it also helps. Simply moistening your hands up to the elbow (and even up to the shoulder) does not work for so long.
Also, ventilate the room and keep it at a more or less cool temperature, at which your teeth do not chatter from the cold, but which allows you to feel in good shape.
Well, don’t forget that after each such “race” with sleepless nights you definitely need to get enough sleep. Moreover, if you haven’t slept normally for a long time, then most likely it won’t help you to just sleep until lunch. To prevent chronic lack of sleep from interfering with your life, you need to sleep 8-9 hours for at least a week.
In general, I wish you not to put anything off “for later”, so that later you won’t be excruciatingly painful for the years spent aimlessly...