You’d think the Subject of losing a night’s sleep would merit 1 word: yawn. After all, you do not need anybody to tell you just how lousy you feel that the day after you have been kept awake by a sick child, the rush to meet a deadline, or fear of an upcoming event. First, relax. Worrying about how small shut-eye you have will just make you feel more stressed. Even if your day’s plans include a street race or tennis game, sleepiness should have little effect on your physical capabilities. Your psychological functioning, however, could suffer. Under sleeping by two hours may have a negative influence on your ability to concentrate, solve problems, and think creatively, based on numerous studies.

Seek the glowing lights. Raise the blinds; draw the curtains; twist on all of the lamps. Direct, bright light seems to be physiologically stimulating. It was found out those seriously sleep-deprived girls who were exposed to bright light tested higher in level of endurance, reaction time, and math-task ability compared to a similarly exhausted group stored in dim light conditions. Keep On your feet. Taking a brisk walk or climbing stairs activates your mind and stimulates your muscles, giving you a lift that lasts for around an hour. But do not overdo it: If you participate in more activity than you are accustomed to, you will just become more exhausted.

Be a social creature. Better still; use the day to generate phone calls or to catch up on jobs with co-workers. You need to be actively engaged in the dialogue in order for it to help you stay alert. Eat the mild stuff. It was long believed that a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet proved to be a sure route to nausea. However, it’s not what you eat but how much you eat that counts. How to Function on Little Sleep, blood circulation decreases to your mind and raises to your stomach to assist the digestive process. If nothing else, staying well hydrated will keep you running to the toilet – excursions that in and of themselves will get you from your seat and perk you up.

Stay cool. You do not have to be a rocket scientist or sleep specialist to understand that you feel snappier in lively air than you do if it is hot and humid. As one of those survival methods, cranking up your air-conditioner or operating a fan is a clear way to stave off drowsiness. Bear in mind, however, the old trick of hammering cool air onto your face when driving wakes up you only temporarily; it may provide you the few minutes you want to pull off the road or get into a resort, but would not reliably keep you moving much longer.