Everyone needs sufficient sleep to ensure enough energy and alertness for the next day’s activities. But sometimes things happen, and it’s quite possible that everyone has experienced a sleepless night at least once. So, how can one stay alert after a night of sleeplessness? The following information will clarify this concern.
1. Insomnia/sleeplessness
Insomnia or staying awake all night to study, work, or in cases of emergencies involving oneself, family, or friends are all very valid reasons for experiencing a sleepless night at least once in life.
A sleepless night greatly affects the brain, reaction abilities, concentration, or memory of an individual. In fact, scientists have shown that facing daily activities after a sleepless night is similar to being intoxicated.
Sleep experts suggest that the body is at its weakest when forced to stay awake for too long. Due to the natural flow of the body’s circadian rhythm, a person will be in a truly bad state if they stay awake for 24 hours, making it difficult to control what’s happening and always in a state of drowsiness. This is also the worst time for someone to think about driving home.
The monotony of the road they often travel, combined with the sudden onset of sleepiness, can cause drivers to fall asleep at the wheel uncontrollably. In a study conducted in 2005 on drowsy driving, one-third of the drivers participating in the research admitted they had at least once dozed off at the wheel due to exhaustion while the car was still on the road.
However, if they must complete daily tasks after a night of insufficient sleep, the brain still has the ability to try to compensate for this issue. In a study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), 16 young adults who remained completely awake for about 35 hours completed progressively difficult personal tests. The fMRI images showed increased activity in certain areas of the brain because essentially it had mobilized more energy from the brain than what was necessary compared to those who had sufficient sleep.
The brain can provide cognitive ability for someone who is sleep deprived, which under normal conditions they would not need to utilize. This allows individuals lacking sleep to still perform their assigned tasks, albeit at an average level.
2. Ways to stay alert after a sleepless night
- A nap: A short nap is considered a “detox” for the nervous system after a sleepless night. In a study conducted at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) led by Rosekind, pilots participating in a trans-Pacific flight who took an average of 26 minutes to nap had more than halved the likelihood of showing signs of drowsiness during the flight.
- Drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages: Using coffee or energy drinks that contain caffeine helps the nervous system become more alert. According to research, most sleep-deprived individuals need about 100 to 200 milligrams of caffeine depending on their body weight. A small cup of coffee contains about 100 milligrams of caffeine, while caffeine supplements are often available in doses of 100 or 200 milligrams.
- Avoid multitasking: After a sleepless night, memory impairment becomes more severe. This means that the brain cannot remember many things at once. A study on 40 young adults who stayed awake for 42 hours showed that the brain’s memory capacity decreased by up to 38%. Imaging tests (MRI) confirmed that the part of the brain related to sending and receiving information is often inactive or underactive in people who are sleep-deprived.
