LIFESTYLE - 10 Things You Overlooked That Can Keep You Awake Better Than Coffee

When you think of ways to stay awake, most people seek out the next Nescafe joint to get a cup of coffee and get the day started. However, there are other things that can keep you awake just as well, if not better. Also, some of them are far healthier for you than coffee.

Below the cut are 10 things that can wake you up as effectively as coffee....

1. Apple

The apple offers major benefits to the human body, but fruits in general are big, too. So, why apples you may ask? The benefits of an apple are amazing, since it contains fructose which is a natural sugar that can wake you up naturally and help keep you going. It also moves slowly through the body, reaching areas where you may not wake up immediately, but once an apple gets in your system, it’ll wake you up and keep you awake. There’s no crash either, which makes the benefits of the apple far outweigh those of coffee. If that wasn’t enough, apples contain carbohydrates which the body needs to get moving and stay moving, and apples are also a great source of fiber. Really, why wouldn’t you want to eat apples knowing that?

2. Exercise

Another one that may seem obvious, but is not used as often with Nigerians, is exercise. It’s not as if you have to do a lot, but things like running in the morning, even if it’s just around the block, not only can keep you healthy and fit, but it will wake your body up very well. Stretching can be a big help, or if you’re feeling foggy, heading to the gym can get you going. But most of the time, you can get going right at home with no need for a gym membership.

Really, it’s all about the blood. When you get up and going you start to get the blood flowing throughout the entire body. Exercise increases circulation and you start to wake up naturally. After running or exercising you’re getting everything in your body moving, so you may not even need coffee because you’ll be awake already. However, we recommend a shower after.

3. Light

Seems a bit obvious, I know. But, light has a way of, shall we say, annoying people in the morning. Whether you wake up to the bright sun or the light being cut on in your room, it may be a torturous way to get up, but it’s guaranteed to get you up and keep you up.

4. Smelling Salts

This is one thing that everyone who’s ever been drunk can relate to. Police officers have been known to use smelling salts to wake people up out of a drunken sleep when they are in, shall we say, “random areas.” Originally used by police to wake up fainting women, it has also been known to do a lot of fun things for people, but be careful when using the salts as they can damage your sinuses and sometimes your brain if used too much. However, on days when you cannot get up, smelling salts are guaranteed to give you the help you need, and it will most definitely wake you up faster than coffee.

5. Chocolate

Coming from the cocoa bean, chocolate at least starts as something all natural. It’s a fatty food, so it’s not something you want to indulge in frequently. But if no coffee is present, a simple chocolate bar does have enough within to make you wake up. The moment you put chocolate in your body, it can give close to immediate comfort, but also drive up energy. It won’t last for a very long time, but if you get moving once you eat or drink something with chocolate involved, chances are you’re waking up pretty well.

Chocolate will actually wake you up just as fast as coffee due to the normal digestive system.Hot chocolate could be a good alternative to coffee, while you also create your own fun depending on which chocolate you choose to use, whether white, dark, etc. You can actually mess around and make something healthy out of it adding things like Vitamin B12, which not only helps the digestive system but also helps with growth and brain function.

6. Energy Drinks

When most people think of ways to wake up during the day, they turn to energy drinks. They may not be the healthiest choice on the market, but they are proven energy boosts that will wake you up. It’s true, however, that no matter what the label tells you, the crash will eventually come. But the same can be said with coffee, too, so it’s really a pick and choose sort of thing. In the end though, most people actually seem to wake up faster with an energy drink.

7. Foods

It’s actually kind of funny, but you tell me a guy that won’t wake up when he smells a good breakfast being made. Women aren’t against it either. Food simply has a tremendous wake up power that is completely natural. For me, the smell of Pounded Yam and Okro Stew can wake me up from a deep sleep in which I am ruling a Narnia-like kingdom, and then it keeps me up. But the interesting part is that it’s not just the smell that will get you, but the food itself.

Once you start getting carbohydrates and protein in your system, you can wake up pretty well. Things like eggs have Vitamin B, which you read about earlier in the article. No matter what you eat, as long as it’s a healthy or nice breakfast, your body will wake itself up and you’ll be ready to take on the day almost immediately. No coffee is even needed. One of the best foods to wake you up, and one thing to have in your diet every day, is whole grain foods. It has Iron, B12, Carbs, and much more to keep you going.

8. Music

It’s a pretty safe bet that music happens to be something that can wake up ANYONE! Let me guess, mothers, your son or daughter won’t get up for school? I guarantee that if you set an alarm involving hiphop music, they’ll be awake faster than a woman getting a bikini wax! Music can also help you after you’ve awakened. Have it playing in the background while you take a shower or are brushing your teeth, even while eating breakfast. Overall, the music keeps you awake due to either the sound or what is playing.

9. Water

Some of you may be asking, “How can water wake me up?” Well, drinking one glass of water before bedtime will make you have to, well, get up to use the restroom. So, that’s one way of course. But there are several other ways. The shower includes water. However, what’s most effective is being awakened by cold water being thrown on you by someone. That is a guarantee that you’ll wake up. If we want to make it scientific, water has a lot of health benefits, too. Think about it, your body is made up mostly of water.

You can last 3 weeks without any food but only 3 days without water, meaning it is important to the body daily. So, starting the day with a tall glass of water or bottle of water can really help the body. You’re going to be asleep an average of 4 to 8 hours if you’re a normal person, so by the time you wake up your body is going to need something to drink. Your body needs the water to wake up cells, blood, and so forth. So, why not give your body water instead of something like coffee when in the end, you never see a crash when you keep hydrated with water.

10. Bad Food The Night Before

It may seem weird, but, if you eat bad food and drink bad things before bedtime, you won’t sleep well. This, in turn, affects how you will wake up. You will seek more and more sleep because of it, because your body may need it. If you go to bed late or take a narcotic, this will also affect sleep patterns. Even if you don’t eat or drink unhealthy things, it could be that eating or drinking right before bed can affect your sleep, too.

Another good thing is calming you down before bedtime. Deep breathing, praying, even reading have been some interesting ways of calming you down to get some sleep. So, trying to avoid certain things the night before and replacing them with things like meditation which will promote good sleep, will help you wake up refreshed and on time the following day.