How to Wake up Hell When Your Body Isn’t Working
Unless you’re an early riser, waking up every day can be tricky. It can be so hard during the day and your bed is so soft.
And there’s a scientific reason for that: “Circadian rhythms are longer than a 24-hour day, so our sleep hours push us later,” says Rebecca Scott, Ph.D. from the Center for Complex Epilepsy in Langone at New York University, the Sleep Center told Reader’s Digest . This means that getting your body into and out of sleep is more like a dimmer than a switch that you can simply turn it on or off. In other words, we need a little time to fall asleep, and the same is true for awakening.
Given that most of us may need some help with this daily transition to wakefulness, here are some simple tricks to help you wake yourself up quickly, naturally, and cost-effectively.
Make the coffee bitter
If you feel like coffee isn’t giving you the boost you want, try reducing the amount of milk and sugar you add to it. When each sip is more bitter than you are used to, you may feel refreshed as you sip it.
Keep in direct sunlight for a few minutes
It doesn’t matter if you have a corner office where the sun shines all day, the light coming through the windows is just not the same as the real one. Go outside and let your skin soak up some pristine sunlight , soak up some vitamin D, get some fresh air and let your ears feel the openness of a calm, non-office world.
Pull hair
This sounds bad, but it really isn’t; Pull the hair slowly and gently to let the blood flow to the head in a new and refreshing way. It’s not nearly as drastic as most of the other tips here, but if you’re just feeling the first signs of sleepiness, it might help.
Splashing cold water on your face
It’s old but useful and it actually works. Just do not overdo it and do not leave the office bathroom looking like you fell. For this trick to work to its fullest, go outside and let the fresh air hit your wet face.
Use your computer as an alarm clock
The main idea is to make you really pay attention to the alarm and not just fall asleep again. Thus, your “alarm clock” will be on the other side of the room, so you have to get out of bed. It cost you hundreds of dollars – so you don’t slap, and it forces you to actually use hand-eye coordination to look at the screen while using your mouse to turn off the alarm.
Take a break from memes
Great childish? Maybe, but laughter can help wake a sleepy person better than anything other than horror.
Make a strong mint
The stronger the better, because the effervescent effects are great at waking you up . If you are on the verge of narcolepsy, consider purchasing a menthol stick – they are so powerful that they help actors pretend to cry.
Massage your hands
The area between the palm and wrist is quite sensitive. It’s also far enough away from super-relaxing massage spots like your neck or back, so rubbing deeply for a minute can make you feel good without falling asleep.
Interact with a complete stranger
This is something that no one thinks about until it already happened by chance. If you feel dead on your feet, tell someone about the weather to someone nearby. It’s okay for friends to act tired, but our bodies tend to wake up very quickly to avoid any social awkward situations.
Play music at a fast pace
It may sound obvious or even cheesy, but if you have the ability to listen to music where you fall asleep, take it! Listen to the music you love, but always stay upbeat and fast .
Stretch your back, neck and legs
Don’t just sit up straight and yawn, but get out of your chair and stretch as if you’re about to run . Touch your feet! The point is to really stretch so that the blood flows all over the body again.
Peel off a few layers
This may sound like common sense, but we tend to forget about the most basic things when our head is clouded with sleepiness. If you have at least one extra layer of clothing and feel sleepy, removing it can create enough coldness to shake and prevent drowsiness.
Turn your head upside down
With your feet apart a little more than shoulder width apart, lean as far as possible and look between your legs. A strong rush of blood to my head can wake me up a lot, just make sure you don’t come back too quickly, or clarity will replace dizziness.
Take a bite of your lemon!
Whether you like the sour fruit or not, you can’t deny the savory slap it can give in difficult times .
And if all else fails, you can always get George out .
This story was originally published on 5/20/11 and updated on 6/7/19.