How do you stay awake and alert?

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One reason I am going into nursing is so I can work nights! I am not an early morning riser! But I am in a 4 week summer A&P II course that starts at 7:30 am 4 days a week! Ouch! I have to get up around 6:15. What do I do? I am constantly fighting to stay awake in class. I drink my cup of coffee and eat a bowl of cereal in the mornings. But it just doesn't do it for me. I think I need to look into taking an energy pill. What's a good one that doesn't make your heart race and mouth dry out? What are some other ways to stay alert in school or at work?

I hate coffee so this was always a fear of mine but honestly I'm a horrible insomniac. I can sleep 4 or 5 hours in a 48 hour period of time and be fine. I know it sounds crazy but I've been that way for years, I'm so used to it at this point. It's probably not great for me but I'm able to function right now with it and it's good for school because I have plenty of study time and I can take a nap in the afternoon and be fine for quite a while.

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Specializes in Burn/Trauma PCU.

It's not the healthiest option (duh) but it gets the job done: Coke. Usually 1 can will perk me up in the AM for whatever I have to do, including 6am clinicals. Plus, I like to eat a little something beforehand, preferably protein (Coke on an empty stomach feels like battery acid). I'm not much of a coffee girl.

I also second the digital voice recorder thingie - what a lifesaver! I'm usually okay in the mornings (see above explanation) but no matter what I do, I always get the after-lunch slump and start to fog out around 2pm. That tape recorder has saved my life (and my GPA).

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I am a big fan of multivitamins and Monster low carb or diet Rockstar energy drinks. Also Vault is pretty good too. I stay away from the energy pills...those things mess me up pretty badly.

There's energy pills???

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Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.

I too, am a nightowl and am dreading early morning clinicals!! 0630 -- UGH!!

However, I have a problem staying awake in a class whether it's early a.m. or nightime -- because I don't sit well. If I sit for too long much of anywhere, I can nod off if I allow myself. The movies, church, watching a boring TV show.....one of the reasons I'm moving into nursing; I need to be more physical.

Something you can try is gum....that helps keep you a bit more alert...and then doing that thing where you try to determine how much sleep you need by allowing yourself to wake naturally on days off and figure out from when you went to bed what your body wants. Unfortunately, I am an 8-hour girl no matter how you slice it AND a nightowl....NOT a good combination for those early mornings...I suffer when I don't get my sleep and it'll be a constant battle!! I've been doing this for almost 6 years in the cubicle that has been my career to now...I am surprised someone hasn't found me slumped over my keyboard as I've definately nodded off more than a few times at my desk!! :o

Good luck!

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Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.

Oh, and watch the caffeine thing....I was drinking 2 good sized cups of coffee in the morning and wasn't able to get to sleep at night. After watching an Oprah show that talked about amounts of caffeine in things, I realized I was consuming almost 5 or 6 8-ounce cups of coffee in my "mug". Once I cut back to about 3/4 of that in the morning, I started sleeping like a human again. It can be a very vicious cycle!!

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Specializes in LTC.

I purposely schedule my classes in the early AM so when I get off work at 6:30am I can go straight to school.... I acctually don't have too many problems staying awake either.

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I purposely schedule my classes in the early AM so when I get off work at 6:30am I can go straight to school.... I acctually don't have too many problems staying awake either.

Ditto to that. I never had problems staying up all night and then going to early morning classes before I slept. I would say this was one of the only ways I found that would keep me alert during morning classes. If I worked third shift the night before a class I found that I personally could make it to about noon without feeling too tired.

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Specializes in LTC, med-surg, critial care.

I stay awake with lots of Diet Pepsi, fitting in a nap when I can and exercising when possible. If I'm tired, I sleep. I don't even attempt to do a normal sleep schedule. If I take a nap during the day and can't sleep at night I use that time to study instead of forcing myself to stay awake during the day while reading a book.

I've also been known to stand up during lecture (in the back of the room) to stay awake.

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