No sleep? No problem: 6 tips for the insomniac, caffeine-addicted students who need to power through

If you’re in or have ever been in university, you’ve probably learned a hard lesson — or many hard lessons if you’re a law, medical, or dental student — on how to survive with no sleep.

Either your course needs you to memorise hundreds of slides or cases, or you left a project to the last minute, sometimes you need to power through the night hours to make the deadline or prepare for an exam.

But no matter how funny some students make their all-nighters to be, trust us, it’s never pretty.

Humans need to sleep — even if you’re only 19 and have seemingly boundless energy. This is when we repair and recover from daily activity and injuries, and rest, reorganise ,and re-catalogue our brains.

Without sleep, you’re not just sleepy and tired — in fact, your body and mind are in pain. Your balance suffers, you’re likelier to feel depressed, you can’t remember things you used to, and you’ll look like the life’s been sucked out of you.

There are a whole host of other negative effects too:

• Your immune system is weaker
• You gain weight
• You have higher stress
• Increased chances of getting heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and more.

This overall feeling of crappiness is why a lot of us turn to drugs — the legal ones, of course.

Survive with no sleep: university edition

If you’ve ever had coffee, tea, or Coke, you won’t be able to claim that you’ve never had drugs before.

Caffeine is by far the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive drug – a stimulant found in the abovementioned drinks and other agents used to increase alertness. While the most common source is the good old coffee bean, it can also be found in various teas and cacao beans.

The common reason for consuming caffeine is, of course, to keep yourself awake.

But is a strawberry matcha frappucino topped with jam puree really going to help you survive with no sleep, or is it just another US$20 sweet treat promising an inevitable sugar crash? 

Caffeine is a college campus staple found in every cafeteria, dining hall, and vending machine. It can even be found in complimentary drinks for university events like open days or conferences. 

Over 92% of college and university students consume caffeinated beverages, whether it’s in the form of an overly-priced gourmet cafe drink or a Red Bull from their campus convenience store.

Just stop by around any campus – you’ll probably see lines of students wrapped around coffee shops like Costa Coffee or Starbucks, ordering ultra-customised drinks consisting of vanilla cold foam, caramel shots, and white mocha syrups. 

@kaybchung I HAVE BEEN STUDYING FOR THESE EXAMS – not possible to memorize 2,000+ in one night LOL #dentalstudent #dentalschool #allnighter #studytok #studywithme #study #students #ucladentalschool #ucladentalschool ♬ Clown-Song – Electronic Radio Mix – P-Control

Regardless of your coffee preference, caffeine intake increases dramatically during assignment deadlines and exam seasons. Just ask Kay Chung, a second-year dental student at the University of California, Los Angeles, who rose to fame on TikTok for her methods of pulling all-nighters to study. 

While some people struggle to survive with no sleep, Chung has made it into a form of public entertainment, with millions of people coining it the “Kay Chung method.” Her videos include compilations of her drinking multiple coffees a day and combining them with five-hour energy shots. She also includes videos of herself crying just to “keep it real.” 

Of course, she actually doesn’t condone consuming that much caffeine and constantly pulling all-nighters. 

“It’s the desperation that’s pushing me forward,” Chung said. She grew up working as a barista and naturally grew a caffeine intolerance over time, which explains her crazy coffee intake. “I wish people wouldn’t do them personally. I feel like they should just watch me and stop there.”

Instead of using her videos as inspiration to stay up all night, Chung wants her videos to be a cautionary tale to fellow students. “I hope it motivates them to study ahead,” she said. “That’s what I would like my videos to do.”

Indeed, studying ahead is always the key to university. Too much caffeine could land you in some serious trouble and have a negative effect on your health and life. 

The negative effects of too much caffeine

Most people are aware of these risks, but addressing them is another issue altogether. So here’s a friendly reminder.  

Health risks

Too much caffeine will lead to elevated blood pressure and heart rate – you may experience heart palpitations, cold sweats, and even migraines. Some people even reported that they started suffering from insomnia and anxiety after consuming too much caffeine for an extended period of time.

Jeopardising your grades

Constantly pulling all-nighters and trying to survive with no sleep may lead you to accidentally skip class or an exam. It happens – you pile on the caffeine, attempting to cram for a test in the morning, but fall asleep at your desk and wake up too late. 

The same happens when you skip class to cram or sleep, as you may end up spending even more time trying to cover missed material – it’s a downward spiral of despair. 

Disrupt sleep

The ideal time to consume caffeine is in the morning after you’ve had some food in your stomach so that your body has time to metabolise it properly. Avoid consuming it in the late afternoon or the evening because caffeine will disrupt your sleep schedule and keep you awake at night.

Keep at it long enough, and you’ll eventually develop insomnia. Not great for when you’re a student with many deadlines, so check out our piece on how to get more sleep in university. 

Addiction

It’s similar to smoking and drinking. When you’re used to caffeine and spend a large amount of time being dependent on it, you’ll end up craving it badly – or worse, go through caffeine withdrawal. 

Some people who are trying to cut down on caffeine turn to decaffeinated drinks, like decaf coffee or tea. They still get the same gratification from the taste but skip out on the negative effects. Of course, this is a psychological game – if you trick your brain into thinking you’ve consumed caffeine, it may function just like if you had it. 

Your social life suffers

Let’s be real, no one wants to hang around a cranky, sleep-deprived person. Lack of sleep aside, too much caffeine can make you irritable and overstimulated – you’ll feel annoyed by even the mildest of inconveniences.

It should also be said that caffeine tolerance is insurmountable – that means if you continuously increase your coffee intake, its effects will eventually plateau and stop no matter how much you drink. So keep that in mind before you attempt to survive with no sleep during university or even for life beyond. It’ll save you – and your heart – in the long run. 

But that’s not to say that caffeine doesn’t have any benefits at all. 

Black coffee, in particular, is great for weight loss and helps decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s and Type 2 diabetes. In small doses, caffeine helps with memory retention and energy – after all, that’s the reason people start consuming it. But when you start mixing in things like brown sugar whip, cookie crunch and brownie bits, that’s when it gets a little over the top. 

So rather than fighting to survive with no sleep on a diet of caffeine and sugar, plan ahead wisely and practice some good time management skills to prepare for your exams.

If you really have no other choice but to pull an all-nighter, there are still ways you can do it effectively – just not all the time. 

Tips to survive with no sleep

We get it. Sometimes, that all-nighter is unavoidable, and there’s just no way around it when you’re rushing for a deadline. And then, there is also the fear of still doing poorly despite the all-nighter, as lack of sleep may result in forgetting important things. 

But there are ways to survive with no sleep without relying on an inordinate amount of caffeine or sugar.

Let’s revisit Chung, for example.

Chung uses active recall to effectively prepare for her exams as she struggles to survive with no sleep. Rather than typing her notes down on a computer, Chung writes down everything she has to study, even as she’s going through hundreds of slides.

Active recall is a great way to study, even if you’re on a tight schedule and can’t afford a couple of zzzs. It’s a proven study technique where instead of passively repeating information, you stimulate your brain to actively retrieve the information you’ve just learned. 

Compared to just rereading slides or rewatching a lecture over and over, you challenge your brain to recall the material on demand. Ultimately, this will help you remember better.

Drink water

Not only does drinking water keep you hydrated as you soldier on through the wee hours of the night, it makes you get up to go pee. That will keep your body moving and wake your joints up. 

Iced water is great, in particular, as it’s extra refreshing.

Have a good study environment

Do not, we repeat, do not study in bed. That’s a disaster waiting to happen. Plus, it’s generally good to separate your responsibilities from your sleeping area because that’s where you relax and recharge.

Instead, work at a proper desk with a chair, as far away from your bed as possible. If your campus has a 24-hour library, consider studying there too – the presence of fellow night owls will help keep you awake. 

Study buddy

Find a motivated friend to study with. Work to keep each other awake by discussing questions, testing each other on chapters or even for a friendly presence throughout the cold, lonely night. 

The only problem is that you may feel the urge to talk or gossip, so keep yourselves in check. A little yapping won’t hurt to keep yourselves awake, but not to the point where you forget to study. 

Take a shower

There is nothing like a refreshing shower to help you wake up — read, procrastinate on studying, or just relax. It works as a little break and helps your body wake up. If you don’t feel like committing to a full-body shower at three a.m., wash your face and brush your teeth instead.

And if you’re really desperate to survive with no sleep, an ice-cold shower will do wonders to wake the senses. 

Set a timer

Not only do you have to survive with no sleep, you also have to fight the urge to procrastinate. Make it a goal to give yourself some time in between studying to walk around the room, get a snack or even take a peek at social media. 

We recommend the Pomodoro technique, where you set a 25-minute timer for work and take a five-minute break after that. For every three or four 25-minute blocks, take a longer 15 to 30-minute break. 

Be honest with yourself

When you’ve hit your end, it’s time to admit that no further cramming is going to help.

At this point, just catch some sleep and wake up earlier in the morning to study. There is no point in forcing your brain to absorb information if it’s not going to stick.