# How can I stay awake for an entire evening? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 8, 2008, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554 "2008-09-08T01:18:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/1 "2008-09-08T01:18:55Z")
Lately I’ve gotten into a bad habit of falling asleep during the evening. Not every night, and it’s more likely to happen while watching TV. I can of course have a couple of cups of coffee at 8 PM and I’m sure that there will be no problem that night. But I don’t think I’d sleep that well. Does anyone have any suggestions on caffeine free ways of staying awake? I’m thinking of things like cold showers, standing rather than sitting, ice cubes down the back of my shirt, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/2 "2008-09-08T01:34:00Z")
I have heard that if you can’t sit down without falling asleep, it means you’re not getting enough sleep. Is it possible that you have sleep apnea, or are otherwise just not getting enough sleep at night? Maybe you could sleep later to stay up later? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/3 "2008-09-08T01:38:40Z")
Instead of watching television in the evening, procure a secret identity and masked costume and go out into the city to fight crime. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/4 "2008-09-08T01:59:27Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Instead of watching television in the evening, procure a secret identity and masked costume and go out into the city to fight crime. I think **Ike** has it. But rather than the dangerous practice of fighting crime, when you feel a bit tired, why not do a little exercise? I’ve found that even say 10 minutes of doing sets of pushups and situps renews my energy for quite some time. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/5 "2008-09-08T02:54:10Z")
> [@Plan\_B](#): > > Lately I’ve gotten into a bad habit of falling asleep during the evening. Not every night, and it’s more likely to happen while watching TV. I can of course have a couple of cups of coffee at 8 PM and I’m sure that there will be no problem that night. But I don’t think I’d sleep that well. > > Does anyone have any suggestions on caffeine free ways of staying awake? I’m thinking of things like cold showers, standing rather than sitting, ice cubes down the back of my shirt, etc. Would it be a problem if you just went to sleep on evenings when you’re that sleepy? Generally, if I’m just a little sleepy I can combat it with vigorous activity of some sort. But if I’m REALLY sleepy, I need to sleep or I’ll start feeling ill. ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/6 "2008-09-08T17:27:01Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Instead of watching television in the evening, procure a secret identity and masked costume and go out into the city to fight crime. I’m not sure, but hasn’t that been done before? As opposed to watching TV with the kids, which is really original. ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/7 "2008-09-08T17:33:12Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Would it be a problem if you just went to sleep on evenings when you’re that sleepy? Big problem. It’s hard enough to find things that my adolescents and I like to do, so if I agree to watch a movie or The Wire on DVD, that’s a major screwup and broken promise, when I fall asleep on them. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/8 "2008-09-08T17:33:56Z")
Both my fiancee and I find that if we’ve done NO cardio activity during the day, we’ll get sluggish and sleepy at night. I’m not saying you need to go for a marathon run or anything, but maybe a nice stroll through the neighbourhood after dinner will get your blood flowing and nicely oxygenated, so you’ll be reinvigorated. ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/9 "2008-09-08T17:34:58Z")
> [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](#): > > why not do a little exercise? I’ve found that even say 10 minutes of doing sets of pushups and situps renews my energy for quite some time. Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. When I used to play racquetball in the evening as a general rule I couldn’t fall asleep for three hours after I stopped playing. And thanks to **jsgoddess** for similar suggestion ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/10 "2008-09-08T17:38:51Z")
Is falling asleep like this something that happens a couple of hours after dinner? Do you feel overcome by sleep, as though a switch in you has just been turned? If so, and in all seriousness, you might want to consider getting screened for diabetes. I’m what my doctor calls a “well controlled” diabetic, but I can always tell when my blood sugar levels aren’t what they should be when I have that post-meal crash that isn’t explainable by general fatigue or poor sleep the night before. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/11 "2008-09-08T18:00:58Z")
I agree with the crime fighting idea. If you find that Captain Amazing has already cleaned up your city, find a different hobby, but still something that engages both your mind and your hands. TV does neither. I find that if I spend the night painting or playing music, not only can I stay up indefinitely, I sometimes have trouble falling asleep. ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/12 "2008-09-09T11:25:26Z")
Damn, fell asleep 30 minutes into The Wire again last night. It is just soooo comfortable. I promise, absolutely promise to run for 30 minutes at 8 PM tonight. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/13 "2008-09-09T13:01:54Z")
I frequently do the same thing. I sometimes joke that I have “TV narcolepsy.” Do you have anything alcoholic to drink in the evenings? I thought this might be a factor in my case, as I am a fairly regular drinker - often I’ve had a couple of glasses of wine or the equivalent by 8 pm. Unfortunately, I tried cutting out the alcohol and it had no effect on my falling asleep. I still think it is a good theory though, and if you DO have any alcoholic beverages, I’d at least try eliminating them and seeing what happens. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/14 "2008-09-09T13:16:03Z")
It could be sleep apnea. Not to be too personal, but do you generally sleep with somebody? If so, ask them to occasionally watch you sleep and see if you stop breathing occasionally. ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/15 "2008-09-09T17:52:18Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > It could be sleep apnea. Not to be too personal, but do you generally sleep with somebody? If so, ask them to occasionally watch you sleep and see if you stop breathing occasionally. It is no secret that Ms. Plan B and I sleep in the same bed. She has never noticed anything. But I’ll ask her to check again. I really think the whole thing is mostly psychological/behavioral. As I said in an above post it is just so relaxing before I doze off. ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/16 "2008-09-09T18:01:40Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > I frequently do the same thing. I sometimes joke that I have “TV narcolepsy.” > > Do you have anything alcoholic to drink in the evenings? I thought this might be a factor in my case, as I am a fairly regular drinker - often I’ve had a couple of glasses of wine or the equivalent by 8 pm. > > Unfortunately, I tried cutting out the alcohol and it had no effect on my falling asleep. I still think it is a good theory though, and if you DO have any alcoholic beverages, I’d at least try eliminating them and seeing what happens. No I rarely drink, maybe two or three drinks per week on average. If anything, it maybe makes it a litle more likely that I’ll doze off. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/17 "2008-09-09T18:21:38Z")
In addition to the above suggestions, check what you’ve eaten for dinner on nights when you get the sleepies. High-carb meals can really put a whammy on your metabolism. Try switching to higher protein, lower carb meals for a while, and see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/18 "2008-09-09T18:24:08Z")
I’m 55 and do better with an afternoon nap. Otherwise I too will fall asleep in front of the TV in my reclining chair. Exercise (a brisk 30 minute walk at my age 🙂 ) wakes me up, a heavy meal does the reverse. ---
**Author:** ![Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Key_Lime_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/19 "2008-09-09T18:26:42Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > In addition to the above suggestions, check what you’ve eaten for dinner on nights when you get the sleepies. High-carb meals can really put a whammy on your metabolism. Try switching to higher protein, lower carb meals for a while, and see what happens. I was going to ask what he’s eating for breakfast and lunch? If you have protein for breakfast & lunch, you oughta have decent energy in the evening. Also, try getting some exercise around 5pm. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554/20 "2008-09-09T18:52:07Z")
I almost always fall asleep if I am watching TV after about 10:30. I always have, no matter what my sleep / diet / exercise schedule might look like (and it has varied widely over the years). I have just accepted it as the truth. My parents are the same way, it must run in the family. If I simply must stay awake watching TV after 10:30, I find a desperately uncomfortable place to sit, consume caffeine or sugar (which has other side effects I find unpleasant), and/or find something to do while watching. Even that doesn’t always work. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-stay-awake-for-an-entire-evening/462554.md?page=2)