From time to time, almost all people experience pulling the infamous "all nighter". Whether it'd be writing that 14 page report at the last minute for English, or studying for that three chapter calculus test, there certainly needs to be an organized effort to achieve this monster task. But what is the best way to do it though?
First, if you want to pull an all nighter off successfully, you need to realize that your entire body acts in a cycle. Normally, a person will wake up in the morning, do some repetitive task such as go to school or work, while eating a few times in the morning, afternoon and evening and then go back to bed at night. Then, this process is repeated the next day. This cycle tends to run in a 24-25 hour pattern. This is also called the circadian rhytym. As a result, you need to realize that you will be greatly throwing your body's normally functions off.
Energy is always needed in life in general, so it will be especially important for keeping up at night. Therefore, you want to have a good amount of energy to stay awake. However, having too much energy at one time can be very tiresome for your cells and body. This is why you should ultimately leave the energy drinks and coffee away from you. Mitochondria is a key part of the cell in all animals. They fuel your cells with the energy to do things that involve work and action. You should think of them as muscles after working out in a gym. You do not want to overwork your mitochondria or else you will crash and get tired.
It's perfectly natural to experience a feeling similar to being run over by a mac truck when the attempting the all nighter. This is why you will need to become alert without overdoing it. The best way to do this is by filling a glass with cold water. Afterward, put the glass in the freezer and let it sit for 20-30 minutes while you are doing the work at hand. The water should be very cold as it should be very close to becoming ice. Drinking the water at a slow pace should rejuvenate you in an alert fashion. Always have another glass of water ready and constantly drink it. Also, this is good because it will make you go to the bathroom more, keeping you more alert. Another way to boost the alert level of yourself is to turn the heat off while perhaps leaving a window open.
Another aspect of successfully pulling off an all nighter is to avoid distraction. So, if you're on the computer while doing the work at hand, sign off instant messagers as one conversation could alter your work for hours. Also, you can significantly decrease your distractions simply by going to a place where there are very little. A good destination can be your college library, (if they're open very late) for example.
Do not lay down at any point during your all nighter attempt! While you can say that you're just going to rest your eyes, you will most likely wake up nine hours later and completely miss the deadline of your work. That is certainly not the desired outcome, and it almost always is accompanied with a huge, unreal sense of panic. It is okay to take ten or 15 minute breaks every hour, but avoid taking naps. If you absolutely have to take a nap, set several alarm clocks for no later than 20 minutes after you lay down and DO NOT hit the snooze button ever.
The most common myth about pulling an all nighter is perhaps the impression that sleeping should not occur. Most people tend to think that sleeping after restless hours of studying will erase everything they just learned. However, the opposite effect will happen if one does sleep during this situation. The human brain needs to rest in order to learn. The best way to do this is by achieving REM sleep. Therefore, you should always try to squeeze in some sleep during the all nighter, even if it is for an hour or two.
