How To Stay Awake During Graveyard Shifts

Hey, you finally found a work-from-home job, but it’s on a graveyard shift because your client or boss is from a different country. No worries, as I’ll share a few ideas on how to be a full-fledged vampire.

I used to stay up late at night when I was in college, so working in the BPO industry before was pretty easy except for the part where I took a hundred calls a day. Now that I’ve been working from home, I can say that staying awake at night is easier compared to being in an office where there are restrictions on what you can do to keep yourself awake such as using your phone or listening to music.

Staying awake not just to be present but also to be aware of everything going on at work is essential. After all, we don’t want to lose an opportunity to earn money. Here are some ideas and steps you can take to stay awake at night for work:

Coffee to keep you alert

The most simple and obvious way to stay awake. A healthy dose of coffee may reduce internal inflammation and protect against disease because it contains antioxidants. It blocks adenosine, a substance in our body that promotes sleepiness. Don’t use too much sugar on your coffee, as you may experience a sugar crash after being energized for a moment. Stay away from energy drinks as much as possible as it has long-term effects on your body, and you wouldn’t want to be dependent on that kind of method to stay awake.

Cold Shower to wake you up

A cold shower stimulates your mind and body. My wife likes doing this whenever she feels sleepy or would like to prepare for her graveyard shift. Rest assured that you will not end up dead if you take cold showers at night, just like your grandparents said

Getting used to a sleeping schedule

It’s not easy to adjust our body clock as it can take a week, but anything is possible with practice. By going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day, your body will learn to adjust to the new rhythm. Your body would know when to wake up even without an alarm clock, and it will know when you need to stay awake.

Taking a power nap energizes you for the rest of your shift

It’s been proven and tested that taking naps throughout the night improves alertness and productivity when you feel sleepy. The ideal power nap is within 15-30 minutes. Ninety minutes is considered a complete full sleep cycle. It’s good enough before starting your shift instead of a 2-hour sleep where you’ll end up feeling disoriented since you’ll wake up while transitioning to the deep sleep stage of your second sleep cycle.

Brighten Up Your Office

Some agents switch off some of the lights in my previous office, leading to everyone feeling sleepy. Managements always advise keeping the lights on as it helps to stay awake. Dark rooms cues your body to release melatonin, a hormone that makes you feel sleepy.

Exercise to keep your body and mind strong

You can move a bit on your shift to help your body wake up, but it’s best to do it in your free and preferred time. A good time would be an hour or two before your work. Exercising does not only keep you healthy and fit but also improves the quality of your sleep.

Music to increase productivity

It depends on what inspires you, but avoid slow songs as they can sync with your pulse making your heartbeat slower, which leads to feeling sleepy.

Just think of all the bills you have to pay by the end of the month if those tips end up not working for you! Good luck fighting the sandman. Stay awake and productive!

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