What Happens If You Don't Sleep

What happens if you don’t sleep? Ugh, we’ve all been there: The foggy brain, irritability, forgetfulness, the uncontrollable yawning–the effects of no sleep are not pleasant. Whether you suffer from insomnia or drank an energizing coffee too late in the day, a bad night’s sleep can wreak havoc on your system and send you into the next 24 hours feeling quite terrible.

The truth: The occasional bad night of sleep is bound to happen, so you’re best to get familiar with some easy methods for counteracting the effects. No sleep doesn’t have to mean a miserable day, at least if you try these quick tricks.

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From avoiding caffeine to checking off your to-do list first thing, here are some simple ways to power through after a night of insomnia.

Take a walk. Our favorite trick takes just 20 minutes and can go a long way to keeping your day on track: Do some gentle exercise. Sleep expert Dr. Neil Stanley suggests getting up and going for a 20-minute walk to keep yourself as alert as possible, reports the DailyMail. If you have time to fit in a gentle exercise class, then suggests a yoga or Pilates class.

Get up ASAP. Stanley says that getting up and out of bed as soon as possible is the key to making it through the day with as much energy as possible.

Get some fresh air. This one’s kind of a no-brainer, but the doctor advises that it’s vital to open the windows and get fresh air first thing in the morning. Also key to feeling better after no sleep? Eating big breakfast–preferably a healthy, filling breakfast.

Get your to-do list done ASAP. You’re going to be at your most productive first thing in the morning, so get your hardest tasks out of the way early on. Powering through your to-do list quickly will help you avoid stress, because the hard things will be done when it’s time for the inevitable energy crash you know is coming.

Avoid too much caffeine. Most people think that having a few coffees will perk them up, but Dr. Stanley says it’s advisable to avoid too much caffeine. ‘If you drink too much caffeine, it actually becomes a sedative. When it comes to the side effects, there is a U-shaped curve: It will give you a boost, but then too much will have the reverse effect.” Makes sense to us!

So, ask us that question again: What happens if you don’t sleep? Well, you squeeze in exercise, you avoid caffeine, and you knock items off your to-do list. In other words, you have a productive, low-stress day, if you put your mind to it!