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How to survive an election night all-nighter without ruining the rest of your week
The US presidential election is fast approaching, and for many of us, that means staying up late while the results come in. But that doesnt have to mean a completely sleepless night, or a completely written-off day after.
We spoke to two sleep and health specialists to work out the best way of staying up late to watch the election coverage without overloading on sugar and caffeine, and to get an idea of how to manage the day after to reduce the knock-on effects of sleep deprivation. Here are their best tips!
What to eat, drink, and do on election night to stay up late
Angel Hill is a natural health consultant. On the subject of what to eat while glued to the screen to watch late-night election coverage, she makes no bones.
Focus on protein and fat, she says. A charcuterie board keeps you full and lets you snack, but doesnt make you want to sleep.
Nor will it leave you desperate to replenish your glucose levels when the sugar crash sets in. In other words, forget sugary snacks.
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Sleep educator Lauri Leadley adds that such snacks as nuts, seeds, and crackers with dips will help you last a lot longer than chips, candy, and chocolate.
Meanwhile, drinking herbal teas and plenty of water will keep you sustained for longer than endless cups of coffee, while also leaving you able to get some good quality sleep once its all over.
Angel also recommends doing squats or taking brief walking breaks, and keeping the lights on in the house to trick your mind its still daylight.
Half an hour before you plan on going to sleep, dim the lights and put your electronics away. This will send a message to your brain telling it to produce melatonin, the sleepy hormone, and create, in miniature, the feeling that the Sun has just set.
What to do the day after an all-nighter
Lauri Leadley says shes not a fan of forcing oneself to stay awake the results will be there in the morning.
However, for those set on the idea of pulling an all-nighter, she has a few recommendations for dealing with the other side of not getting enough sleep.
- First, prepare your breakfast before you go to bed. Lauri suggests overnight oats with chia seeds and fruit something to look forward to.
- Turn your shower to cool for 30 seconds before you get out to shake off the drowsiness. Cold showers come with all sorts of benefits.
- Promise yourself a power nap just before lunch and deliver. Make it a true Power Nap, she emphasizes: no more than 20 minutes.
- Enjoy a tasty, protein-filled lunch. Lauri suggests steak, chicken, or salmon, with salad and a cup of green tea.
If possible, Lauri adds, you could consider carving out a pocket of time before the late night for a short nap, saying it works wonders.
Angel Hill is a natural health consultant at the Alternative Health Food Store and runs Alternative Health with Angel.� Lauri Leadley is the founder and president of Valley Sleep Center in Arizona. Its one of the largest independent sleep diagnostics centers in the state.
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