Wouldn’t it be marvelous if you could take a nap from work, every time you felt sleepy? Unfortunately, for most people, this is simply not an option. Sleepiness at work is fairly common, regardless if you work full time or part-time. Unfortunately, even if you stay awake and fight the urge to fall asleep, feelings of tiredness at work, can affect your performance and make your day-to-day work activities more cumbersome. In this post, we take a look at 4 bonafide options to help you stay awake while at work.
1) Caffeine
Regardless if you consume caffeine via energy drink, tea, or coffee capsules, caffeine will never fail when it comes to helping you stay awake. Caffeine can be best described as being a stimulant that increases the brain’s ability to focus and it increases wakefulness, overall energy levels, and attentiveness. However, the effects of caffeine only last 2-3 hours. As such, be sure to bring at least 2 servings of caffeine whether it may be in the form of an energy drink or coffee so that you can stay awake during your work period.
2) Exercise
Exercise can help to promote alertness during your work sessions in two different ways. The timing of your exercise and the type of exercise you conduct, will either help to induce quality sleep sessions or to increase alertness. Aerobic exercises cause the brain to release what’s known as the happy hormone: endorphin. When endorphins are released they help to increase alertness and create a certain degree of activity in the brain, which helps to keep people awake. As such, exercising during the morning hours or going for a walk on your break can help to fight sleepiness.
In the same breath, strength-based exercises can increase your core body temperature. When your core body temperature increases, signals are sent to the body’s clock that it’s time to go to sleep. Therefore, doing strength-based exercises 30-90 minutes before going to bed, can help to promote quality sleep sessions which help to keep you awake the following day.,
3) Herbs
In some instances, you may drink coffee and exercise on a regular basis, yet still, struggle to stay awake at work. If so, you’ll be glad to know that there are several herbs that can be used to help you stay awake at work. Some of the most popular options include:
- Ginseng – Ginseng is commonly touted as being an excellent herb to use to increase your vitality. It can provide a boost in energy levels as well. Studies suggest that it can also stimulate brain function such as increasing your ability to focus.
- Sage – Research shows that sage has numerous cognitive-enhancing effects. Some of those include increased mood, alertness, memory, and attention.
- Guarana – Guarana is one of the main active ingredients in energy drinks. It is rich in various chemicals such as tannins, saponins, and caffeine.
- Peppermint – The simple act of inhaling the scent of peppermint oil can help to boost athletic performance and increase alertness.
4) Prescription Medication
If you tried everything on this list and still experience sleepiness while at work, it may be time for you to consult your doctor. There are several medications available that can help to treat excessive sleepiness. Oftentimes, they are prescribed in addition to other treatment solutions such as behavioral modifications and therapies. Some of the most commonly prescribed medications for excessive sleepiness include:
- Modafinil – Modafinil is used to treat sleepiness in patients who work an overnight shift. Research suggests that modafinil can have a positive impact on the sleep-wake sections of the brain.
- Ambien – Ambien is best described as being a hypnotic that can help to improve how long you sleep at night as well as to improve sleep quality. Having a long, quality sleep session at nighttime can help to keep you awake and alert throughout the day.
- Sodium Oxybate – Also known as Ritalin, Sodium Oxybate can help to increase the slow-wave sleep phase and increase daytime alertness. In addition to that, the drug can be used to limit interruptions that occur while you sleep.
- Armodafinil – Armodafinil is similar in structure to modafinil but is primarily used as a daytime wake-promoting agent.
