Feeling Tired? Here’s How To Stay Awake

Let’s face it — we’re all tired. The struggle of work-life imbalance can make getting up in the morning a challenge. And you may find it hard to stay awake or focused as you go about your day.

If you find yourself dozing during a work meeting or yawning at your kid’s soccer practice, what can you do?

Wellness and preventive medicine physician Sandra Darling, DO, offers some advice on how to stay awake when you’re tired.

12 tips on how to stay awake

There are a lot of reasons why you may have trouble staying awake during the day. And it can be helpful to have a variety of techniques at the ready. Dr. Darling shares some common methods to help keep you awake and alert.

1. Grab a glass of water

Fulfill that thirst before you do anything else. You should be drinking water all day, but your body is typically dehydrated when you wake up, so this is something you should do first thing in the morning.

“You probably haven’t had any fluids for the last eight hours, so the best thing you can do is drink a glass of water first thing in the morning,” advises Dr. Darling. “That can actually help you feel more awake.”

2. Get moving

Exercise can help. Sure, you’re probably thinking, How can I think about working out if I can barely get out of bed? But you don’t need to go hard on the treadmill to benefit from a little exercise in the morning. Do five jumping jacks, go for a walk around the block, jump on the elliptical for 15 minutes or do a couple of squats. When you get your body moving, you get that blood flowing, and waking up your muscles with even a small stretch will help you feel more awake.

“I’m a big advocate of doing something, even if it’s just for five minutes,” shares Dr. Darling. “Most people can’t fit in a 30- to 60-minute workout in the morning, especially if they’re tired and want to get as much sleep as possible. But doing even the smallest amount of activity in the morning is energizing and can help you to wake up.”

This goes for midday workouts, too. Go for a short walk, outdoors if possible, to fight off afternoon fatigue.

If you’re looking to improve your energy for the long haul, Dr. Darling suggests doing at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week. Regular exercise can lead to big improvements in your overall health as well.

3. Pile on the nutrients

Sure, you may think a cup of joe (or two) is the only way to stay alert. But you may want to know how to stay awake without caffeine.

“Instead of consuming caffeine and refined sugar, which give you a brief moment of energy followed by a crash later, a healthier approach is to eat some natural sources of sugar like a piece of fruit, a handful of raisins or a couple of dates,” recommends Dr. Darling. “Or have a piece of dark chocolate, which is lower in sugar than milk chocolate and has a small amount of caffeine.”

Another tip? Skip the sweetened coffee drinks and snag an apple, some blueberries or a banana for a quick pick-me-up.

And don’t forget about the most important meal of the day: When you have breakfast, include protein and fiber-rich foods for an added boost of energy. Aim for 15 to 20 grams of protein at breakfast.

4. Improve your sleeping habits

You might think this is a bit too on the nose, but if you’re feeling tired, chances are there’s something off about the way you’re sleeping.

To improve your sleeping behavior, try the following sleep hygiene strategies:

• Avoid alcohol and food two to three hours before bed.
• Sleep in a cool, dark and quiet room. The ideal temperature is 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit (15.55 to 21.11 degrees Celsius).
• Avoid electronic screens, including a TV, tablet and smartphone, one hour before bed. Exposure to the blue light disrupts melatonin production, the sleep hormone.
• Create a bedtime routine.

This last one is important: On average, you should get seven to nine hours of sleep each night, so fine-tuning a sleep-wake schedule can help you create a space so you can pull that off. If you go to bed each night and wake up around the same time each day, your body will start depending on that schedule, which can improve insomnia and other sleep disorders.

“If you’re constantly feeling tired, sleep has to be a priority,” Dr. Darling stresses. “Sometimes, just adhering to good sleep hygiene and doing something relaxing before bed like meditation can correct long-standing sleep issues. If you still don’t feel refreshed after sleeping at least seven hours, see a sleep specialist to determine if you have a sleep disorder.”

5. Power nap when necessary

This may feel like cheating the system, but it works. If you can power nap for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, you can jumpstart your body’s battery to help get you through the rest of the day.

Make sure you avoid naps that are longer than 30 minutes and avoid napping after 3 p.m. Naps later in the day can make it harder to fall asleep that night and will throw off your sleep-wake schedule.

6. Revisit your alarm settings

Waking up to the sound of a nuclear alarm is jarring and stressful — not a good way to start the day!

Some alarm clocks and smartphone settings wake you up gradually, and you can even look into getting LED lights that mimic a sunrise for a more peaceful approach to getting out of bed.

For her alarm sound, Dr. Darling selected calming music on her smartphone. “It’s a much gentler and enjoyable way to wake up.”

7. Manage your stress

Even low-grade stress can leave you feeling exhausted if it continues for a long period of time. Try managing your stress by turning to yoga, regular exercise, massage or other self-care routines to break the stress cycle.

Activities that boost your mood are important, especially because depression can sometimes be mistaken for fatigue. Plus, the more you do the things you love, the more energized and motivated you will feel.

“Self-care practices make a big difference in our energy and vitality,” notes Dr. Darling. “When we don’t practice self-care, fatigue and chronic stress will slowly catch up with us.”

8. Try meditation

Speaking of managing your stress, meditation is one specific way to clear your brain so you’re more aware and can think more clearly.

“The goal of meditation is to be in a state of calm alertness,” says Dr. Darling. “Your mind is calm and relaxed, allowing you to feel more present and focused.”

9. Get some sun

Your body has a 24-hour internal clock known as the circadian rhythm. This controls your body’s sleep-wake cycle, including when your brain releases certain hormones and how organs operate at different times.

By getting some fresh air and a few minutes of sun exposure each day, you can help strengthen your circadian rhythm, allowing you to fall asleep easier and stay asleep.

10. Take a break from screen time

Staring at your computer screen or phone screen all day can cause eye strain and make you feel tired.

Take a break from staring at your electronics every so often and look out the window or gaze at something farther away. Consider the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

And getting up from your workspace not only helps give your peepers a break, but it’s also essential to move your body and give yourself a quick mental timeout from the task at hand.

11. Have a conversation

Starting to nod off? One easy solution is to find someone to talk to. Having a conversation — whether it’s with a coworker, your partner or even your toddler — can help activate the frontal lobes of your brain.

Any type of cognitive engagement, including having a conversation, can help keep you awake.

12. Engage your senses

Think of your five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch.

If you’re feeling sleepy, it can help to engage your senses. For example, burn a scented candle, use an invigorating essential oil in a diffuser, splash cold water on your face or listen to an upbeat song.

Doing something stimulating can activate your sympathetic nervous system, which helps keep you awake and alert.

Bottom line?

It’s normal to struggle with fatigue after a rough night’s sleep. But if you’re experiencing chronic fatigue that’s been lasting longer than a few weeks, reaching for caffeine without making any other lifestyle changes will keep the problem going.

Implementing healthier solutions like exercise and eating a balanced diet can help you stay awake, alert and focused throughout the day. But if those steps don’t work, talk to a healthcare provider about your concerns.

“When you’re skimping on sleep and burning the candle at both ends, it can feel like you’re running yourself into the ground,” acknowledges Dr. Darling. “Your doctor can help get to the root cause of your fatigue and provide guidance and solutions on how to address it.”