Night work: how to deal with sleep: Medical blog of an emergency doctor. How to fight sleep when you're tired

We all know the situation when, after another working day, having had a hearty dinner, we ourselves unwillingly fall into the realm of Morpheus! How to deal with sleep: 7 effective ways.

And every time we swear to ourselves to defeat drowsiness, but in practice the result is completely opposite.

But so many interesting and useful things were planned for the evening, but overcoming the evening “ailment” is not so easy!

There is a way out of any situation. And sleepiness is no exception. Your attention will be presented 7 most effective ways to deal with sleep.

1 way :
Overeating is a common cause of sleepiness. Unfortunately, a person has not instilled in himself the ability to control his desires, and after work he is well adapted to the meal.

Subsequently, all the forces of the body go to the digestion of food and the end result is an unwanted dream.

To avoid such a fate, you should not stuff your stomach to the limit. Break dinner into two stages so that the forces of the body come into balance and the head remains functional for some more time.

2 way :
If you feel that you are inevitably falling asleep, immediately go outside and take a walk for half an hour. Due to the abundance of oxygen, well-being will soon return to normal.

If you have a pet, this is a good reason to take a walk, regardless of your own desire.

3 way :
Try not to run after work to a soft sofa. As soon as the body feels relaxed, the body will gradually begin to restore energy resources. Again, a good alternative would be to go in for sports and go to the nearest playground. Acceleration of blood much more effectively removes from a drowsy state

4 way :
To prevent yourself from drowsiness, ventilate the room as often as possible. Due to insufficient oxygen, the brain slows down, which subsequently leads to an unpleasant feeling of drowsiness.

The temperature in the room also plays a huge role. If it is too hot or cold, then you will soon want to lie down for a minute or two. And as a rule, these minutes stretch for a much longer period of time.

The optimum temperature is considered to be 19–21 °C.

5 way :
Good smells of any citrus fruit, coffee, pine needles are removed from the state of drowsiness. If you are too lazy to endlessly look for a jar of coffee or walk around with half a lemon, buy yourself an aroma lamp and essential oils that match the smell. And the effect will not be long in coming.

6 way :
Don't forget about your schedule. Pick a specific time to sleep and wake up. After all, the faster the body gets used to your biorhythm without any failures, the more effectively the tasks set for the day will be performed.

7 way:
Many treatises are devoted to the fight against sleep while driving, but food is still the most effective way! When you are driving and you begin to feel sleepy, start chewing something, like orange peel or seeds, etc., when a person chews, he will never fall asleep.

Follow the above rules and soon you will be able to defeat this heavy feeling! You will surely succeed

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In the life of every sexually mature man, there comes a moment when it is very necessary to “stay the night and hold out the day”. If everything is clear with the day, then at night the head becomes catastrophically heavier and tends to outweigh and overturn the whole body. You should not blame your body - it is only protecting itself from encroachments on your own health. Try to trick him a little.

First of all, look around at your nightly workplace. It is best to sit in a chair with a low back - this will save you from the temptation to lean back and close your eyes for a “briefly”. Less things in the workplace, remove everything from the table that can distract you. When fatigue takes over, you want to be distracted by something pleasant, and the desire to return to the contest again melts with every lost minute.

Provide fresh air to the room. Thus, you will save the brain from oxygen starvation, and the jaw from dislocation during the next bout of yawning. The aromas of lemon, pine needles, mint and rosemary are well invigorating. You can use an aroma lamp, or wash the floor by adding a couple of drops of aromatic oil to the water.

Don't eat at night. Better not eat at all. Hunger is a good stimulus to action. A tightly packed stomach ruthlessly takes blood from the brain and it goes into a "sleep" mode. Don't worry, you can kill a worm with chocolate with nuts, grapefruit, orange, sweet peppers and tomatoes. Sandwiches with black or red caviar, nutritious and rich in fatty acids, will also come to the court.

During forced wakefulness drink tonic drinks. It is better to cook them yourself. Brew loose leaf green tea. A cocktail of soda, freshly squeezed lemon juice and honey tastes good.

Eliminate alcohol from your night menu! Refrain from taking over-the-counter stimulants and “energy drinks.” As a rule, they have many side effects: increased pressure, insomnia, anxiety, etc.

If it’s completely unbearable, take five-minute rest breaks more often. If possible, take a contrast shower or wash your face with cold water. Massage the earlobes, the bridge of the nose, the point above the upper lip and the palm at the base of the thumb.

Don't turn off the overhead light. This will make it harder to fall asleep.

The benefits and effects of coffee on sleep

The subject of the invigorating effect of coffee is actively discussed on the Internet, however, many questions remain about this for many. I will try to answer them and put everything in its place.
Coffee is not for everyone energy drinks, it is worth remembering! On the one hand, coffee is a delicious and invigorating drink that contains 120 healthy ingredients. One of which, caffeine, as well as a large number of vitamins and substances essential for human life. All of the above applies only to good insoluble coffee, in which the caffeine content is up to 2-2.5%. Caffeine stimulates the body for about 1-2 hours or more if the amount is exceeded.

When the amount of caffeine is exceeded, the body receives a good stimulating effect. But with the decline in the effect of caffeine, the body will get the opposite effect, a sleepy state will come several times more sleepy than it was before drinking coffee. Usually they try to drown out this state with even more coffee drunk, for some time it can return to normal, but for a shorter time and in the end result, with a stronger sleepy state.

The coffee morality is this: to drink coffee, in order to cheer up, you need boiled ground coffee, do not overdo it, both first and then, starting with one cup every 2-3 hours and, as you go, reduce the time between coffee drinks. Thus, you can stretch without falling asleep for a while.

Strongly brewed tea to invigorate drivers and at work

Strongly brewed tea, both black and green, can be an excellent source of energy for several hours, and the effect of tea caffeine is different from coffee, it does not pile on fatigue after the action expires.

Strong tea for invigoration

The simplicity of brewing tea allows you to organize an invigorating and attention-stimulating drink almost on the go. 2-3 teaspoons of tea per half or whole mug (preferably a thermal mug with a lid), and after 10 minutes an energy-rich drink is ready.

One conclusion suggests itself that to stimulate the body it is better to give preference to strongly brewed tea than coffee. But to overdo it with the use of strong tea, as in other cases, is not worth it. Drinking strong tea is not more often than the body feels the onset of fatigue.

Cocoa as an ephoric energy drink for mild fatigue

We should not forget about cocoa, which can, with mild fatigue or in combination with other methods of stimulation, give a very good boost in vigor and mood.

Cocoa as a light energy drink for fatigue

Cocoa primarily acts on the receptor for pleasure and happiness, the properties of cocoa are also attributed to chocolate, which cannot interfere on the road or at work, in moderation of course. But these are all retreats, in fact, drinking 4-6-8 tablespoons of cocoa can get an excellent boost of energy and the hormone of happiness, which will not allow you to fall asleep for 1-1.5 hours.

There are no particular contraindications with cocoa, if the doctors have not banned it, drink as much as you like, if it has a positive effect on you and allows you to stay alert.

Garlic as a stimulant for the body

Perhaps some of you have already noticed that if, for example, when you come home from a frost and wrap cabbage soup with a significant amount of garlic, then falling asleep for the next 3-4 hours is simply not realistic. Garlic is an excellent sleep stimulant. And all because garlic also has the property of stimulating the body, it perfectly accelerates the blood and does not allow you to fall asleep for a long time. In order to drive away sleep, you need to eat at least 3-5 g of garlic.

Cold as a remedy for drowsiness

It has long been proven by scientists that if you apply ice or something cold to your temples and forehead to a sleepy person, then the dream will certainly pass, but not for a long time, so you need to practice with cold “gadgets” every time your eyes say that sleep is near. This method can be of great help if there is no way out, and you need to be invigorated. However, a piece of ice or a can of cold lemonade can bring you back to life.

Super powerful mints and chewing gum drive away drowsiness

Surely everyone knows, heard or has already tried such lollipops as HALLS, among its types there are a lot of suitable ones to drive away sleep. HALLS has a lollipop called Strong, what a burst of mint and eucalyptus. Such a lollipop will easily help drive away sleep, the main thing is not to set a goal to eat it faster, but to use the powerful action of eucalyptus and mint for as long as possible, inhaling and exhaling evenly slowly, cooling everything in its path. In this case, sleep is banished by a prolonged airway cooling effect.

If sleep began to overcome - bite off a piece of HALLS (Strong) and after a few minutes the dream will take off like a hand. Then adjust the consumption of lollipops according to your feelings. Chewing gums have the same effect, only less lasting, to cheer up, it is enough to chew 1-3 super mint / eucalyptus pads or plates. But for me, this is an extreme option, HALLS lollipops are better.

Vitamins to combat sleep

Fatigue and slight drowsiness while driving a car or at work can be removed with a complex of vitamins. I don’t see the point in listing the main groups of vitamins, but vitamins C will be the main vitamin for vigor. Having taken a daily rate increased by 2-3 times at a time, you can observe a new wave of strength and the disappearance of drowsiness.

Vitamins can stimulate the body against sleep

It is convenient to keep sports fortified drinks on hand, which contain a complete complex for recuperation after training, and in our case, to relieve fatigue and sleep. One or two bottles of such a cocktail and the dream will take off like a hand and a second wind will open. Such drinks can be purchased at sports nutrition stores, which are far from uncommon even in small towns. In any case, vitamins can always be found in pharmacies.

Succinic acid in the fight against drowsiness

There is such acid as succinic, although it does not sound edible, nevertheless, it is an excellent antioxidant and a pronounced metabolic effect. It has a strong stimulating effect and is actively used in withdrawal from hard drinking or to prevent severe alcohol poisoning. In fact, succinic acid has another very rare property, it inhibits the toxic effects of radiation and magnetic waves, improving energy metabolism. Succinic acid allows you to stimulate the body and effectively fight sleep. However, the action will not be as long-lasting as, for example, energy drinks.

Kola nut as a remedy for sleep

Of course, everyone should know such a drink as Coca-Cola, but not everyone knows why it is called that. The name consists of two main components of the drink, when it first appeared, coca leaves, I think everyone understood what it was about, and cola nut. Kola nut stimulates the body. Kola is a giant tree from Africa under 20 meters in height, on which fruits ripen, the dry seeds of which contain up to 3% caffeine and are called kola nuts. The action of kola nut caffeine is the same as that of other caffeinated plants, only in terms of time its effect is not great and is similar to coffee.

In order to get a boost of energy, it is enough to drink 1-2 teaspoons of ground kola nut with cold water. The effect will be felt in about 15-20 minutes. Kola nut is not found in stores, it can be seen mainly only in the composition of certain drinks or pharmacy herbal remedies in small quantities. However, on the Internet, you can find and buy a kola nut, if you wish, without much difficulty.

Ginseng, Rhodiola Rosea, Dimiana, Catuaba, Yohimbe

There are a number of plants that can overcome sleep. The well-known ginseng is not only a remedy for many diseases, an aphrodisiac, but also an excellent energy drink that can be used to combat drowsiness. Not inferior in its properties and such a plant as Rhodiola rosea. The plant is an adaptogen and increases the body's resistance to adverse factors. 300-500 mg of Rhodiola rosea extract is enough to get insomnia for several hours, which is what we need.

Dimiana, cutuaba, yohimbe are plants that can also fight sleep, which can be used as a means to stimulate the body, and as antidepressants to cheer up on the road, at work or on vacation. In any case, this set of plants must be handled experimentally.

Training electrostimulator against sleep

An electrical stimulator is a device for training muscles. Many people are familiar with such devices from “shops on the couch”, although now they are far from uncommon and you can buy such electric simulators in many sports stores. The principle of operation is quite simple. A device with a soft, sticky base is superimposed on the muscular part of the body, or the device itself is taken out on the belt, and “rounds” of electrodes are applied, to which an adjustable voltage is applied. At the moment the current is applied, the muscles contract and are stimulated, replicating the effect of training. How can such a simulator help in the fight against sleep?

In view of the fact that the device regulates the intensity and power of the discharge, this can be used to find the optimal settings at which the supplied discharge will not strain much, but at the same time will not let you fall asleep due to the discharge itself and due to muscle stimulation, and means no sleep. From personal experience, I can advise you to install electrodes on the press, you can easily train both to fight sleep and for the benefit of the case, since, for example, for many hours of press training, even the most neglected stomach can be driven away. I would like to emphasize once again that the goal is not to lose weight, but not to sleep, so the intensity and current settings should be taken seriously.

Pelargonium against sleep

Not many people know that very often it is pelargonium that is mistakenly called geranium, and so pelargonium has wonderful properties that athletes and doctors willingly use, pelargonium essential oil is widely used in perfumery. Substances found in essential oil can stimulate physical and other processes in the human body.

Pelargonium can drive away sleep for a long time

In 1944, pelargonium was used as drops for nasal congestion, soon athletes found use as an excellent stimulant that repeats the structure of adrenaline, the effect of the struggle, increases attention, reaction, improves brain process and much more. So, if you really want to sleep, then literally 25-50 mg of pelargonium extract will allow you to drive away sleep and stay in an upbeat, cheerful mood for more than 5-6 hours, at least there will not even be a thought about sleep. Unlike caffeine, after the action of which it makes you very sleepy, pelargonium smoothly ceases to act without additional reactions of the body. Pelargonium extract is a very powerful remedy for drowsiness, which can easily allow you not to sleep for 24 hours, and even answer the question: How can you not sleep for two days? But it is always necessary to remember that everything is good in moderation and making hard experiments on your health is not worth it.

An exception can only be emergency circumstances, in all other cases, a balanced application of the above methods of combating sleep is sufficient. To achieve long-lasting and better results, you can combine options for combating sleep, starting with simpler methods.

AND REMEMBER!!! Side effects if you're sleep deprived

Sleep deprivation is associated with a host of unpleasant effects. This includes muscle pain, blurred vision, clinical depression, drowsiness, decreased concentration, weakened immune system, dizziness, hallucinations, tremors of the limbs, headache, irritability, memory lapses, nausea ...

In general, you understand ....

What is drowsiness, which covers at a completely inopportune time, is probably not worth telling. Everyone at least once in their life experienced bouts of sleep during the day at the workplace, while studying, at an 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;
• dense meal at lunch;
• peculiar biorhythms;
• the nature of the work.

Most often, drowsiness haunts those who have little rest. Today's rhythm of life requires the maximum return from a person. In order to do everything, he usually neglects sleep for the sake of current affairs. At first, fatigue does not make itself felt too much. Gradually accumulating in the body, it literally “turns off” a person on the go. People who suffer from lack of sleep are irritable, depressed, unenthusiastic, often sick and constantly want to sleep.

In most cases, the struggle with sleep in the workplace begins after lunch. By filling the stomach with nourishing food, we force the blood to accumulate in the stomach to digest the food eaten and transport nutrients. In this case, there is an outflow of blood from the brain, it receives less oxygen, and therefore tends to plunge into hibernation.

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

The more convenient the working conditions, the more monotonous it is, 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 hours, you can look for ways to get rid of them. Food tips:

Try to eat lightly, and lightly snack. Instead of one solid meal, it is better to have several light snacks throughout the day. So you do not overload the stomach, the body will always have enough nutrients for the normal functioning of the brain, and a slight feeling of hunger will have a tonic effect.

Add a refreshing drink. It can be coffee, tea and, in extreme cases, energy drinks. For toning, coffee is usually used, which is praised for invigorating caffeine. However, there is also 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 action - up to five hours.

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

Great for invigorating garlic. Three to four hours after eating a few slices of a vegetable, you definitely won’t want to sleep. The fact is that the enzymes present in it stimulate the work of the heart, which more actively distills 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, it should be abandoned.

There are several more proven methods:

If you're struggling with sleep, give yourself a break at lunchtime and take a 15-20 minute nap. After such a light siesta, you will feel much better.

All of these methods are only temporary. You can achieve long-term cheerfulness in the workplace only if you do your favorite work, which you want to go to every morning. Set important goals for yourself in life. For their sake, you yourself, without additional incentives, will work all day in spite of drowsiness and laziness.

Sleep at work has a special power. Many companies in developed countries practice short nap for your employees: 15 minutes and you are fresh as a cucumber. But if your workplace does not welcome sleep, you need to know how to deal with it. Let's not talk about how to get enough sleep, go to bed on time, etc. Let's imagine a more realistic situation: the afternoon, before the end of the working day, a lot of time. And as luck would have it, I want to sleep. Indescribable sensations, yes you know yourself 🙂

In order to effectively deal with sleep at work, you need to know what is happening to us, why we so want to fall asleep right at the workplace.

Why do you want to sleep at work?

1. A heavy lunch, a load on the digestive system, an outflow of blood from the central nervous system (brain), brain hypoxia (lack of oxygen that delivers blood). Nothing fatal, hypoxia is exactly to the level when you want wildly. There were no deaths, but there were accidents (who likes a sleepy worker?).
2. Biorhythms. Natural human biorhythms that work whether you know about them or not. The peak of activity and performance falls on the time from 10 to 12. And the decline is exactly in the afternoon, from 13 to 15. After 16 hours, most of us again feel alert and ready for labor exploits. By the way, the closer the end of the working day, the more energy and enthusiasm appears, have you noticed? The end of the working day for many is a joyful and long-awaited event, which is why its approach is so invigorating.
3. The nature of the work. Monotonous and monotonous work, and even in a warm, cozy office, on a soft comfortable chair, will make anyone fall asleep. The desire to fall asleep can appear even at the thought of work. Or maybe you just don't like your job and want to change it? 🙂

Well, now, knowing about the causes of increased sleepiness at work, let's deal with sleep control methods.