Like food & water, sleep is just as important.  Having a good night’s sleep is more than a luxury..not getting enough of it won’t make us function well & that we run a higher risk of accidents, perform poorly at work or school, & moods can turn sour.  Because of work or lifestyles, sleep just isn’t a priority for some people so they’re constantly fighting their internal clocks.  Without adequate rest, they’re more likely to make errors or have accidents at work, too.  How to Stay Awake — staying awake while at work is one of the more difficult things to do for most people!  Ouch!  I feel as if someone just hit me in the forehead.  

Firstly, take a break, get up & walk around every 30 mins., get a drink, go to the bathroom or copy machine, wherever.  Avoid stimulants–coffee or soda products–the more you drink, the more glucose/fructose syrup will enter your body.  High Fructose Corn Syrup on most soda drinks will coat your mouth & tongue with a thin layer of syrup which holds on to sugars & flavors in the drink giving you a taste of the drink all day & possibly forming an addiction.  Caffeine itself is a mixed blessing since it can make us alert as it constricts the blood vessels.  A safer & healthier alternative to caffeine or sugary drinks is an apple.  Yet, it’s so tempting if you get to smell someone’s coffee next to your desk & esp. if you got a coffee maker right next door.  Just the smell of the coffee’s aroma already can make you wide awake.  It’s really hard but I’m trying not to get tempted.  Not that I’m being banned from drinking but I really skipped coffee for over a year now.  Coffee aroma is actually responsible for all coffee flavor attributes other than the mouth’s feel & the sweet, salty, bitter, & sour taste attributes that are perceived by the tongue.

Secondly, don’t sit in the same position for a long time, stretch a bit, move your head, arms & body.  Drink a lot of water & don’t eat a huge lunch.