Although I haven't been posting much recently, there have been a lot of changes behind the scenes. I've been fortunate enough to have a reader approach me to offer help with editing and layout issues. Her input has been VERY useful (thanks, Joanna!). I'll be tinkering past posts to improve their flow, and have already changed the blog's template to cause less eye strain and make the information more readable.
Thanks for your patience!
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
All-Nighters update!
I discovered an e-book that had been published - no more than a month ago, and ironically with the exact same title as my blog post - about pulling all-nighters. I was VERY pleased to see that most of the suggestions in my original post were either confirmed or reinforced by what I read in the press release. I'll break down what I read:
Confirmed: Save your stimulants until after 2 AM.
According to the info in the press release, your concentration/alertness bottoms out between 3-6 AM because of the circadian rhythm.
Reinforced info:
I suggested with sugar intake in my Vending Machine Nutrition post that a great, measurable way to get enough consistent energy to your brain is to eat 2-3 Skittles every 5-10 minutes. I use Skittles because they're bite sized, easily measured 'doses' of sugar. Gummi bears work too, as do any other candies in set sizes.
The brain is different from muscles in the fact that the brain has no ability to store energy; it takes all nourishment in directly from the blood. What I didn't know is that your brain burns a full 20% of all the blood sugars in your body. I knew the burn rate had to be high, but I had no idea it was that high.
In addition, the brain burns even more energy when trying to focus...especially between those low hours of 3-6 AM. What the guide suggested, that I didn't, was to actually use more sugar than protein for those hours. I still think getting some protein (heck, a non-fatty meal if you can swing it) is a very good idea.
One pack of Skittles should last anywhere from 1 1/2 to 3 hours...long enough to get you to 6 AM. I've tried it when I'm feeling absolutely gone (downing a can of pop), and I've been very impressed with the results. Just make sure your blood sugar levels don't collapse, or you're going to feel even more sluggish.
Update: Downsides of Alcohol consumption
The article/press release about the book mentioned that alcohol should not be consumed AT ALL before/during an all-nighter. I've read various other articles on what it does, and they basically repeated them - "reducing mental efficiency while studying" and messing with REM sleep, which is when the brain stores new memories. This is probably why blackouts occur; so much alcohol has been ingested that new memories CAN'T be stored.
While I agree with what they say about memory and sleep (I will not sleep well even after one drink), I'm not so sure about small (pre-buzz) doses of alcohol reducing mental efficiency. As I wrote in my post on alcohol, one of the other effects alcohol has is as a very fast-acting sugar. Ignoring the drug effects of alcohol, I think it's possible to use it like street cars use nitro for a fast power boost. One or two drinks typically make me feel hyper-alert. Beyond that I'm sluggish.
What it boils down to, basically, is that alcohol use depends on what you're doing during the all-nighter. If you're studying for a test, it's probably a mistake because of the effects on memory (and they're very clear, from an article I read in an old Psychology Today: "Is College Bad For You?"). You probably won't remember anything you learned while intoxicated very well after three weeks (let alone three hours), and the same goes while sleep deprived. Will that matter? That's your call.
If you're writing a paper that you feel is no big deal, alcohol might be irrelevant. I wouldn't recommend using it if you weren't planning on it already; but most of the research out there has focused on the long term (the memory effects, etc). I'm still not convinced about the immediate short run, though - which is pretty much the only thing that counts when you're in a crisis. The choice is yours, here's some info to help you make an informed decision. Alcohol can still come back to bite you, so be careful.
The book is available through LuLu for $15. You can be sure that I'm going to get it at some point!
Confirmed: Save your stimulants until after 2 AM.
According to the info in the press release, your concentration/alertness bottoms out between 3-6 AM because of the circadian rhythm.
Reinforced info:
I suggested with sugar intake in my Vending Machine Nutrition post that a great, measurable way to get enough consistent energy to your brain is to eat 2-3 Skittles every 5-10 minutes. I use Skittles because they're bite sized, easily measured 'doses' of sugar. Gummi bears work too, as do any other candies in set sizes.
The brain is different from muscles in the fact that the brain has no ability to store energy; it takes all nourishment in directly from the blood. What I didn't know is that your brain burns a full 20% of all the blood sugars in your body. I knew the burn rate had to be high, but I had no idea it was that high.
In addition, the brain burns even more energy when trying to focus...especially between those low hours of 3-6 AM. What the guide suggested, that I didn't, was to actually use more sugar than protein for those hours. I still think getting some protein (heck, a non-fatty meal if you can swing it) is a very good idea.
One pack of Skittles should last anywhere from 1 1/2 to 3 hours...long enough to get you to 6 AM. I've tried it when I'm feeling absolutely gone (downing a can of pop), and I've been very impressed with the results. Just make sure your blood sugar levels don't collapse, or you're going to feel even more sluggish.
Update: Downsides of Alcohol consumption
The article/press release about the book mentioned that alcohol should not be consumed AT ALL before/during an all-nighter. I've read various other articles on what it does, and they basically repeated them - "reducing mental efficiency while studying" and messing with REM sleep, which is when the brain stores new memories. This is probably why blackouts occur; so much alcohol has been ingested that new memories CAN'T be stored.
While I agree with what they say about memory and sleep (I will not sleep well even after one drink), I'm not so sure about small (pre-buzz) doses of alcohol reducing mental efficiency. As I wrote in my post on alcohol, one of the other effects alcohol has is as a very fast-acting sugar. Ignoring the drug effects of alcohol, I think it's possible to use it like street cars use nitro for a fast power boost. One or two drinks typically make me feel hyper-alert. Beyond that I'm sluggish.
What it boils down to, basically, is that alcohol use depends on what you're doing during the all-nighter. If you're studying for a test, it's probably a mistake because of the effects on memory (and they're very clear, from an article I read in an old Psychology Today: "Is College Bad For You?"). You probably won't remember anything you learned while intoxicated very well after three weeks (let alone three hours), and the same goes while sleep deprived. Will that matter? That's your call.
If you're writing a paper that you feel is no big deal, alcohol might be irrelevant. I wouldn't recommend using it if you weren't planning on it already; but most of the research out there has focused on the long term (the memory effects, etc). I'm still not convinced about the immediate short run, though - which is pretty much the only thing that counts when you're in a crisis. The choice is yours, here's some info to help you make an informed decision. Alcohol can still come back to bite you, so be careful.
The book is available through LuLu for $15. You can be sure that I'm going to get it at some point!
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