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Natural Things to Keep You Awake

Natural remedies for staying awake are plentiful -- and are healthier for you than chemical-based alternatives. According to MedicineNet, buying "energy" drinks, for example, may give you a boost of caffeine, but will also contribute to a rising heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Keep your eyes open without enduring the harmful effects of unnecessary products.

  1. Food and Drink

    • Consuming a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and low or no-sugar beverages will make you feel refreshed. The Nursing Online Education Database states, for example, that eating small and proportional meals throughout the day helps maintain appropriate glucose levels and prevents your body from crashing after big meals. Drinking water on a consistent basis helps cleanse your body and keeps your brain activity sharp. Additionally, snacking on whole grains and low to no-sodium snacks, keeps blood flow levels normalized, improves digestion and helps prevent exhausting head and body aches.

    Get Physical

    • Staying active is essential for increasing your energy. Working out on a regular basis will boost muscle strength, lower your resting heart rate and keep your body tuned in to what is going on around you for longer periods of time. Walking away from your work desk for a minute and stretching helps you regroup and snap out of the haze from staring into a computer. Laughing produces endorphins and brightens your mood, and rekindles a sense of liveliness in your body.

    Stay Positive

    • Maintaining a positive mental attitude gives people the will to get going. Avoiding negative minded co-workers or friends, for example, and surrounding yourself with optimistic individuals rids you of a toxic environment and promotes the possibility of positive stimulation. Smiling as often as possible, meditating or even getting some sun, naturally helps to relax your body and rid it of exhaustion-inducing tension. Affirm your life on a regular basis -- changing out phrases such as "I hate it when I do that" to "I am a great person who had the best intentions," for example -- as well to keep you thinking and feeling positive.

    Schedule Your Sleep

    • Take appropriate time to rest. Sleep and rest are natural components of the human condition and essential to staying awake for the long run. Get into the habit of taking short naps whenever you have a long day or evening ahead of you. Scheduling your sleep time ensures you will give your body the rest it needs and helps you save energy in reserve for time when staying awake for prolonged periods is necessary. Decide for yourself that, no matter what, you will end your work day at 7 pm, for example, as a way to keep you in control of your day and how you exert energy.

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