Zed Posted July 18, 2014 Hi there, it's me again. As some of you know, I'm a freelance translator, which means I sometimes (well, most of the time) have to cope with a non-friendly schedule (this means, staying awake for a long time). I've been trying some "solutions" to this, but it seems I can't find a definitive answer. When you have to stay awake for a long time (15-20 hours) how do you do it? I've tried coffee (not very effective, especially after 10-12 hours), weed (counterproductive), tea (same as weed), cold beverages, washing my face with cold water (with ice), etc. Now, my job depends on delivering my work on time, but how can I do it when physical fatigue gets in the way? PS: Procrastination is not an option... :P 0 Share this post Link to post
RUSH Posted July 18, 2014 Try to get a prescription for Adderall or Vyvanse. That shit works wonders. 0 Share this post Link to post
Maes Posted July 18, 2014 It helps if the task you have to perform is physical/requires you to stay on your feet, as any army grunt can tell you. Also, learn to sleep like a soldier: squeeze naps into any available opportunity/time slot. 0 Share this post Link to post
geo Posted July 18, 2014 I used to be able to do it easily. Now as I get older, its just too difficult to bother. Oh B-6 and B-12. It keeps you awake in the long run. 0 Share this post Link to post
Waffenak Posted July 18, 2014 Amphetamine and ecstasy will keep you running. Just kidding, try doing pushups and chin ups, listening deathgrind metal, sitting uncomfortably those tips should help you 0 Share this post Link to post
Phml Posted July 18, 2014 Maes said:It helps if the task you have to perform is physical/requires you to stay on your feet, as any army grunt can tell you. Also, learn to sleep like a soldier: squeeze naps into any available opportunity/time slot. Agreed on both counts. Getting up for a small 2 minutes walk every twenty minutes or so is good for your legs and general health, and as a translator it could actually be beneficial to your work (i.e. give yourself some time to mull over the best way to translate a particularly tricky or ambiguous part). Perhaps try standing desks / adjustable desks. If nothing else, you could stack a few boxes under your screen and keyboard and try it out a few days to see if it does anything for you. On another note, I find the problem itself interesting, because 15-20 hours isn't a particularly long length of time (the average adult sleeps 7-8 hours per night so they're up 16-17 hours at a time). Are you just having 18+ hours days routinely and never make up for the lost sleep? Otherwise perhaps you have sleep disorders and if possible it might make sense to consult a doctor. 0 Share this post Link to post
Kirby Posted July 18, 2014 Flush your veins with the wrath of taurine and sugar, then tape your eyelids open :P I can still do this if I really want to, but that's made easier because I follow a blatantly nocturnal schedule. By staying up until 2-3am most nights my brain is already wires up and it becomes a matter of pushing through the 6am mark. Exercise is a great way to keep yourself going. As mentioned earlier take a few minutes out for a walk, and don't hesitate to opt for a 5 minute nap here or there. I remember one college year I stayed up for nearly 48 hours one time and had no more than a 3 minute nap in-between to keep going. I was kept busy the rest of the time from exams/cleaning/moving-out. Caffeine doesn't always strictly do the trick - you need to keep your brain active, if not your body as well. 0 Share this post Link to post
Cupboard Posted July 18, 2014 Kirby has some really good advice. I remember staying awake for multiple days during college. I would watch a show, then do homework, then drugs, then go to class, then socialize, then exercise, then clean some shit. It really is a matter of keeping your brain active and not doing the same thing for multiple hours. 0 Share this post Link to post
reality 2.0 Posted July 18, 2014 try keeping a light on when you work, they say your body will assume you still need to stay awake when you have a lamp on nearby. also, coffee is also keep for keeping yourself awake. weaker crash compared to soda pop. 0 Share this post Link to post
Zed Posted July 18, 2014 Thanks for the advice fellas. Maes said:It helps if the task you have to perform is physical/requires you to stay on your feet, as any army grunt can tell you. Well, the physical part of it requires to move my fingers. A lot. Phml said:On another note, I find the problem itself interesting, because 15-20 hours isn't a particularly long length of time (the average adult sleeps 7-8 hours per night so they're up 16-17 hours at a time). Are you just having 18+ hours days routinely and never make up for the lost sleep? Otherwise perhaps you have sleep disorders and if possible it might make sense to consult a doctor. Yeah, but I have to stay awake that long staring at a computer monitor, which severely punishes my eyes. Kirby said:Exercise is a great way to keep yourself going. As mentioned earlier take a few minutes out for a walk, and don't hesitate to opt for a 5 minute nap here or there. I remember one college year I stayed up for nearly 48 hours one time and had no more than a 3 minute nap in-between to keep going. I was kept busy the rest of the time from exams/cleaning/moving-out. I've experimented with excercise, and it works up to a certain point. Caffeine, well, after 8 or 9 cups I start sweating, but the need to sleep is still there. And if I try to take a 5 minute nap, it easily becomes a 5 hour sleep. reality 2.0 said:try keeping a light on when you work, they say your body will assume you still need to stay awake when you have a lamp on nearby. I've tried that. Sadly it doesn't work, it only helps to hurt my eyes some more. Again, thanks for the advice. I think I'll have to experiment with some kind of mix between the various options you gave me. Lets see what happens. 0 Share this post Link to post
Coopersville Posted July 18, 2014 After working overnight security duty long enough, I just became used to it. Sometimes I bring an emergency energy drink. It doesn't affect the fatigue, but it physically prevents me from sleeping. 0 Share this post Link to post
Springy Posted July 19, 2014 Take cocaine in a fair amount of quantity just warn your colleagues about the comedown. On a serious note, I have a lot of trouble waking up in the morning but I find that Irn Bru does the job despite being filled with additives and what not (pretty certain it contains B-something or other). You'll be off your tits like Russell Brand on speed for a bit. 0 Share this post Link to post