I am moving home today and it is too late for proactive harm reduction like “get plenty of sleep in the days before the all nighter”. I tried to look for advice online, but just found loads of articles telling me how harmful and unproductive it is to go without sleep. I get it, I’m fucked. I’m not in this situation by choice though, so now I just want to get through the day as well as I can. I have plenty of help, so I don’t need to do much physical exertion, but I will need to direct people and organise the last packing stages. Fortunately I don’t need to drive anywhere, but I do somehow need to survive this. By the end, I’ll have been up for around 48 straight hours, and I was pretty tired even before then (so tired that my R regular ADHD meds barely woke me up)
So I was wondering if anyone had tips that helps them when they’re exhausted beyond belief but still need to function. When you’re in a situation where you know it’s unhealthy to push through, but it’s too late to change that, is there anything that you find lessens the blow of the combo exhaustion at the end of it all? Staying hydrated is already on my list, as is getting some rest if you can (because even if you don’t sleep, some shut eye rest can be good); I’m getting an hourish rest after posting this question. I’m typically not someone who naps, because I wake up even groggier afterwards. I know I’m foolish for hoping for some neat trick or tip to make today magically tolerable, but I figured it was worth asking.
Set a timer for hydration. You will forget towards the end of it. All the things your body does automatically will become less effective. Like obviously your fuse will be shorter. But you’ll feel more hungry with less warning, for instance. Satisfying that in a way that might normally make you a bit tired could be enough to make you crash out. But you need to keep eating or you’ll feel like starved hell. Keep it light/snackish. Also try to avoid extra stimulation. If you need stimulation to stay awake keep it minimal as you can.
Additionally, recognize the point of damage. If you’re finding yourself taking completely unintentional ‘microsleeps’ (passing out for 15-120 seconds) that’s your brain screaming for mercy and you should take rest if it’s even remotely possible, and results get truly unpredictable past that point in regards to emotional/mental stability.
Hope that helps, here to answer if you want clarification on anything there