Up late watching the World Series? How to get through the work day
Game one of the World Series went into the early hours of the morning, leaving many baseball fans feeling sleep deprived and sluggish today.
If you're struggling to stay awake after staying up late cheering on your favorite team, here are a few tips to help get through the work day.
Pace your caffeine intake
Your first inclination may be to guzzle as much coffee as possible, but that plan can backfire, especially for those who don't drink it regularly. While coffee is a safe and effective mild stimulant, drinking too much at once can lead to a number of unwanted side effects, including gastrointestinal symptoms, heart palpitations and anxiety, particularly in people who are already susceptible to these issues.
Dr. Boris Chernobilsky, a sleep expert and director of Sleep and Airway Surgery at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York City, recommends tailoring your caffeine consumption to what you know you can tolerate and cutting yourself off by mid-afternoon.
"If someone's on a normal 9 to 5 work schedule, you really shouldn't have caffeine after 3 p.m. because that can affect your ability to go to sleep that night so then you'll be even more sleep deprived the following day," he told CBS News.
Take a power nap
If your job allows it, taking a quick snooze can be an effective way to restore energy, but limiting the amount of sleep is important.
"The key is not to sleep too long," Chernobilsky said. "Set an alarm to make sure you wake up within 20 or 25 minutes because if you start getting some deep sleep, then you're going to be groggy and potentially have what we call 'sleep drunkenness' when you wake up from it."
Getting too much shut-eye during the day -- or taking a nap too late in the day -- can also make it more difficult to fall asleep at night. Chernobilsky said the ideal time for a power nap is early afternoon when you begin to feel a slump.
Get up and move
When your energy levels are dipping, take a walk around the block or just get up and move around.
"Anything that's going to get your heart pumping and your body's natural adrenaline going that's going to be both mentally and physically restorative and help you refocus on the tasks at hand," Chernobilsky said.
Choose your fuel wisely
Eating the right foods can help maintain energy levels, so you'll want to watch your diet especially on days when you stayed up late the night before. Avoid foods loaded with sugar, which offer an initial boost of energy but will result in a crash later. Instead, focus on options rich in protein and unrefined carbohydrates like low-fat yogurt, nuts and vegetables.
Skip the supplements
While the packages of some herbal supplements claim to be "energy-boosting" or help with alertness, there is no scientific evidence that prove they work. "I always caution my patients against taking stuff that's not FDA-approved because we don't know exactly what's in it or how much," Chernobilsky said. "Caffeine works just fine."
