# POLL: Staying Awake



## esmphoto (Dec 15, 2011)

It comes with the territory, ridiculously long hours every once in a while. I don't have it that bad, the worst for me would probably be 7am-midnight every once in a while, but i know the pros do worse on a regular basis. SO! How do you stay awake?

soda? coke, diet coke, mr. pibb, etc.

Tea? hot or iced, black or not, sugar or sweetener

coffee? black or not, sweetened or not, are you picky or anything in a mug

pills/powder? concentrated caffeine/guarana etc., "dietary supplements"

gum? plain old gum or military grade "caffeine gum" (a colleague of mine has the military kind)

energy drinks? monster, crank, red bull, etc.

nothing? just soldier through it/you're used to it

other? what do you do?

of course we all know that no matter what you do you have to keep hydrated and a full stomach, and dont overdo! take breaks and try to nap if you can.


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## josh88 (Dec 15, 2011)

Growing up I was allergic to caffeine, nothing severe just enough to make me feel junky. So this meant no coffee or soda. Eventually I grew out of it and still just haven't acuired a taste for coffee. So my go to drink has been Amp. It's an energy drink, but still tastes good, has enough carbonation and it keeps me running for a few hours of tough work.


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## techieman33 (Dec 15, 2011)

Caffeine doesn't do much of anything for me one way or the other. I try to keep eating through the day, plenty of water, and fresh socks will make you feel a whole lot better. If I'm stuck running a spot for a show I'll usually put on a fresh pair right before I go up, and then change them again before load out.


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## MrsFooter (Dec 15, 2011)

techieman33 said:


> I try to keep eating through the day, plenty of water, and fresh socks will make you feel a whole lot better.



That right there goes a long way towards keeping yourself up and going. Often I've found that after a couple days of non-stop coffee and McDonald's I start to feel like crap. It's tempting to give in to all the emotional cravings my body desires, but if I can try and eat right and drink water I can usually last longer than if I'm ingesting nothing but crap.

That being said.

Sometimes ain't nothing going to do it but the good stuff. I generally stick to coffee, because that's what's most readily available; there's a coffee shop on the concourse level, and sometimes if you sweet talk the women at the concession stand they'll give you a cup. However, I do enjoy me an energy drink when I can get them. I try to tread lightly with both substances, though. I don't know if it's the chemistry of my body or the day of the week, but I react differently to caffeine from day to day. Some days it perks me up and washes the bitchiness away, and some days it's like giving crack to a squirrel. Since I can't tell how I'm going to react on any given day and I don't particularly enjoy that tweaked out feeling, I tend to try and save it for emergencies.


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## ruinexplorer (Dec 15, 2011)

I don't have a "go to" method because you get tired for different reasons. Eating right and staying hydrated are my two first methods of staying awake (my bag always includes the tools for the job, something to do, and something to eat since you never know how your call will go). I also have trained my body to be able to go to sleep in a short amount of time, almost anywhere. Power naps can seriously help your body when dealing with physical exhaustion. 

What I am generally more concerned with is mental exhaustion. This is the point that coffee and many other stimulants fail to address. I will use things like a B complex vitamin (found in some of the energy drinks) and have taken Sasparilla/Ginseng (herb, not extract) on occasion. Sometimes taking the time to do breathing excercises to make sure that you have enough oxygen in your system (for the brain expecially). 

The best thing to do is make sure that you take care of your body before you need to do the crazy shifts. If you eat right on a daily basis, get the appropriate amount of sleep, keep yourself generally healthy, then you will have less to deal with when you have your nose to the grindstone. Think of it as preventive maintenance on yourself.


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## Lambda (Dec 15, 2011)

Stress and pressure usually do the job of keeping me awake. But when that fails, coffee. It never really gets me wired, just makes me more alert and awake.


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## MarshallPope (Dec 15, 2011)

It depends on what I'm doing. For all-nighter studying sessions, I'll usually drink copious amounts of whatever variety of hot tea I have on hand. It keeps me awake without crashing later. For long shifts, I tend to rely on coke or energy drinks for that extra boost, especially when I won't be there insanely late, just enough to need a bit of extra energy. Otherwise, I will just go through lots and lots of water. Keeps me active (In more than one way, if you get my drift) and doesn't have a risk of crashing.


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## esmphoto (Dec 15, 2011)

techieman33 said:


> Caffeine doesn't do much of anything for me one way or the other. I try to keep eating through the day, plenty of water, and fresh socks will make you feel a whole lot better. If I'm stuck running a spot for a show I'll usually put on a fresh pair right before I go up, and then change them again before load out.


 
smart point on the socks, that was my biggest problem over the summer when we worked the 4-10, by the end of the workday my feet would be soaked and itchy (especially if I had the pleasure of working out in the sun)

josh88 brings up a good point on the amount of carbonation, i've found that just the tingle of ginger-ale or sparkling mineral water can help to keep me alert. I've also tried all the crazy junk the sound guy has brought- NoDoz (pills,) Caffeine powder, and the military caffeine gum. Did NOT like the NoDoz or the powder, although the gum actually worked pretty well. 

I try to eat well and drink lots of water, but it usually comes down to grilled sandwiches and Ginger-ale or Mr. Pibb.

(I didn't toss all this in when I started the thread because I didn't want to clutter/affect the poll)


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## zmb (Dec 15, 2011)

Wherever I'm working, I always have a Nalgene with somewhat cold water and some sort of food available, I'm a fan of Costco Trail Mix in my backpack for getting me through the school day (6 hours between breakfast and lunch) and having some for build days or rehearsal. Biggest thing is keeping busy keeps sleep from setting in and being in high school, I can manage 16-17 hour days during tech rehearsals for a week and then crash on the weekend. I also appreciate the occasional caffeine boost from Coke or Starbucks but I don't rely on it.


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## MarshallPope (Dec 15, 2011)

I neglected to mention this, but I almost always keep a jar of peanuts or a bag of pretzels or something next to the console for any run over a couple of days or so. I've found that just having something to munch on does wonders to keep me awake and alert (and not bitchy.)


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## josh88 (Dec 16, 2011)

I don't chew gum much anymore, but you mentioned it and I think whether its the caffeine stuff or not, just having something for your mouth to chew on keeps you active without tiring you, which I find helps with the whole focus/energy thing.


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## mstaylor (Dec 16, 2011)

I drink copious amounts of coffee, black, and Mountain Dew every day. It doesn't matter if I have a four hour in or a twenty hour call, I drink coffee always and Mountain Dew when I eat. I can't stand the smell of energy drinks, tea makes me thirsty and all the specialty crap that places like Starbucks sells is awful. I do drink water to stay hydrated.
I agree that changing socks is a huge benefit. I've developed the ability to sleep anywhere anytime.


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## shiben (Dec 16, 2011)

mstaylor said:


> I drink copious amounts of coffee, black, and Mountain Dew every day. It doesn't matter if I have a four hour in or a twenty hour call, I drink coffee always and Mountain Dew when I eat. I can't stand the smell of energy drinks, tea makes me thirsty and all the specialty crap that places like Starbucks sells is awful. I do drink water to stay hydrated.
> I agree that changing socks is a huge benefit. I've developed the ability to sleep anywhere anytime.


 
Im the same way. Coffee before I go out the door, diet Pepsi/Mountain Dew after that no matter how long the call. Can do 20 hours like that.


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## josh88 (Dec 16, 2011)

It's appropriate timing for this since I had a 12 hour day today with 2 amps spread across it and a ton of water. Another 12 hour day tomorrow and maybe a 10 hour day sunday. Going out with a bang before getting the holiday time off.


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## Sayen (Dec 16, 2011)

I used to live off a pot of coffee in the morning, soda at lunch, and an energy drink for the late shift. When my first kid was about to be born, I realized I couldn't keep going that way, and quit cold turkey. I felt great when I switched to a better diet and exercise, and actually felt like I had more energy. I still cheat in the occasional cup of coffee though. But not a daily, or three times daily.

I'll second the clean socks. I often bring an extra pair on long gigs. A change of pants is great for road trips too.


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## BurkeTheJerk (Dec 16, 2011)

Mountain Dew is a wonderful invention. Just sayin'.


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## ruinexplorer (Dec 16, 2011)

For you caffeine addicts, do you get withdrawal headaches when you don't get your fix? When I first met my wife, she would go through at least a 2L bottle of Pepsi per day. If she didn’t drink a certain amount, she’d get a migraine. After talking with some other stagehands that I knew who consumed a large amount of coffee per day, they would say that they also had to drink a certain amount per day to avoid the headaches. I, as far as I remember, have never experienced this, but I don’t drink it regularly. Or maybe I do, but don’t drink the amount necessary to have the side effects.


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## DuckJordan (Dec 16, 2011)

First off its worse than caffeine and I don't recomend it to any one nor do I condone its use. But smoking gets me through my day. That said there was a 2 week run of 16 ish hour days. Straight and I only crashed hard the day after.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk


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## FMEng (Dec 17, 2011)

ruinexplorer said:


> For you caffeine addicts, do you get withdrawal headaches when you don't get your fix? When I first met my wife, she would go through at least a 2L bottle of Pepsi per day. If she didn’t drink a certain amount, she’d get a migraine. After talking with some other stagehands that I knew who consumed a large amount of coffee per day, they would say that they also had to drink a certain amount per day to avoid the headaches. I, as far as I remember, have never experienced this, but I don’t drink it regularly. Or maybe I do, but don’t drink the amount necessary to have the side effects.



Caffeine withdrawal is real. Normally, I only drink two cups of coffee a day but if I skip one I will get a headache. The trick is to cut back very gradually, not cold turkey.

Once in awhile, I have to work all night at the transmitter, and the drive home is 90 minutes. I have learned to frequently eat small amounts of nutricious food through the night. I avoid sugar and I only take the coffee hit before I hit the road for home.

When I used to binge on sugary foods and coffee all night, I was at serious risk of falling asleep on the drive home. The change really helped.


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## mstaylor (Dec 17, 2011)

ruinexplorer said:


> For you caffeine addicts, do you get withdrawal headaches when you don't get your fix? When I first met my wife, she would go through at least a 2L bottle of Pepsi per day. If she didn’t drink a certain amount, she’d get a migraine. After talking with some other stagehands that I knew who consumed a large amount of coffee per day, they would say that they also had to drink a certain amount per day to avoid the headaches. I, as far as I remember, have never experienced this, but I don’t drink it regularly. Or maybe I do, but don’t drink the amount necessary to have the side effects.


Coffee headaches are very real. I drink coffee from morning to bedtime, no matter if I am working or not.


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## gcpsoundlight (Dec 17, 2011)

I steer clear of energy drinks, and I find as a result that when I actually need to wake up (which is usually just to get me through the last few hours of a call, rather than from the start) I can have something weaker like coke (cola) or even just lemon aid. The sugar is usually enough. Although, having said that I am from a city where it is odd if you don't drink coffee so I will tend to have one before work. 


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-38.385726,144.840231


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## Pie4Weebl (Dec 17, 2011)

If I have an early morning a cup of coffee or latte from dunkin can get me going, but then I try to stay clear. For nights like tonight where I need to keep going till 4, I try to stay clear of caffine until the last little leg of the shift. Helps give me the little bump at the end and crash quicker when I get back home.

On tour though my caffine addiction got BAD, it got to the point where I needed two cups before I'd even consider talking to the house LD/ school's TD/ guy who helps out twice a year... ughhh


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## shiben (Dec 17, 2011)

DuckJordan said:


> First off its worse than caffeine and I don't recomend it to any one nor do I condone its use. But smoking gets me through my day. That said there was a 2 week run of 16 ish hour days. Straight and I only crashed hard the day after.
> 
> Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk


 
And this is why its called an addiction kids. I think the worst part about it is if I dont smoke in the morning, I wont wake up, and if I dont smoke at night I wont sleep. If any of the younger set are considering starting because they see the pros do it all the time, take it from me, and probably Duck, and anyone else who has to leave work every 2 hours to go burn a square, its a terrible choice. Caffeine is similar for me, if I dont drink enough in the morning Im asleep, and it continues throughout the day. But if I dont cut off around 4 hours before I intend to go to sleep, I wont sleep at all. And there are indeed headaches associated with caffeine withdrawal, but nowhere near the nasty side effects that trying to quit smoking has. The shakes, headaches and chronic fatigue only last a week, not a month.


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## DuckJordan (Dec 17, 2011)

shiben said:


> And this is why its called an addiction kids. I think the worst part about it is if I dont smoke in the morning, I wont wake up, and if I dont smoke at night I wont sleep. If any of the younger set are considering starting because they see the pros do it all the time, take it from me, and probably Duck, and anyone else who has to leave work every 2 hours to go burn a square, its a terrible choice. Caffeine is similar for me, if I dont drink enough in the morning Im asleep, and it continues throughout the day. But if I dont cut off around 4 hours before I intend to go to sleep, I wont sleep at all. And there are indeed headaches associated with caffeine withdrawal, but nowhere near the nasty side effects that trying to quit smoking has. The shakes, headaches and chronic fatigue only last a week, not a month.


 

I absolutely Agree with Shiben 100%, another note, the health concerns such as heart failure, gum disease(yes smoking causes oral issues too), and cancer just to name a few, your teeth will turn yellow no matter how much you brush your teeth, your clothes will reek of smoke and so will your fingers. Just try to get intimate with your girlfriend/boyfriend smelling like an ashtray, its a mood killer faster than grandma in her undergarments. 

SERIOUSLY, ITS JUST LIKE FLYING SOMEONE DIY, its a horrible Idea and the consequences lasts for centuries not years. Not to mention if your on the road or live here in SD, Cigarettes are expensive and getting more expensive, think I pay $7 ish a pack here and thats cheep for a pack that will probably last you a day if you are a moderate smoker. Not to mention its cold as hell in the winter....


Back on topic, Getting the right rest before working is good, do not in any circumstances over sleep before the long hauls, it just makes you more tired.


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## David Ashton (Dec 17, 2011)

I used to do long country tours with lots of overnight driving.Eating regularly and drinking water or diet coke kept the body going but to stay awake I would use a technique where I woud worry about all the things that could go wrong and what a disaster it would be if I didn't arrive in time, etc, etc, the effect of worrying is to pump adrenelin into your system which keeps you alert.In 30 years and millions of kms through the Australian outback, I never had an accident, apart from the occassional dead kangaroo, or missed a show, although at the end of a tour I would sleep 24 hours straight.


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## alyx92 (Dec 17, 2011)

How appropriate, as yesterday I had a 7am-1am shift -.- 


Diet Coke is my best friend, although caffeine usually doesn't do much for me. What usually helps is talking to other crew members. Conversation usually helps stimulate me enough to keep me awake. If we're in a situation where we can't talk (like a show), I usually just focus on the show and that alone helps me keep awake. I try and steer clear of energy drinks and the like, I hate the crash. And, I've never found coffee to be too appealing.


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## mstaylor (Dec 17, 2011)

shiben said:


> And this is why its called an addiction kids. I think the worst part about it is if I dont smoke in the morning, I wont wake up, and if I dont smoke at night I wont sleep. If any of the younger set are considering starting because they see the pros do it all the time, take it from me, and probably Duck, and anyone else who has to leave work every 2 hours to go burn a square, its a terrible choice. Caffeine is similar for me, if I dont drink enough in the morning Im asleep, and it continues throughout the day. But if I dont cut off around 4 hours before I intend to go to sleep, I wont sleep at all. And there are indeed headaches associated with caffeine withdrawal, but nowhere near the nasty side effects that trying to quit smoking has. The shakes, headaches and chronic fatigue only last a week, not a month.


I agree that smoking is a badd choice, I have smoked since 1972. I have had four heart attacks, one quad bypass, three stents, still climbing steel.


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## krice (Jan 3, 2012)

Agreed that the best thing to do is stay hydrated and eat real food. However, you don't always get the chance to eat well...

I bring granola bars wherever I go and a water bottle. I like to add the single pack powder drink mixes to my water bottle when I get tired of drinking things with no flavor. Once I struggle to move with efficiency I go for coffee, most shops I've worked in tend to have a coffee maker in the mix somewhere.


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## bishopthomas (Jan 4, 2012)

I find when I get really tired that I just have to keep moving. I can go several days with 3-4 hours of sleep a night and be okay, not pleasant, but functional. I have done some 72 hour days and driven home. Not fun. I've worked all day then driven 15 hours before. Took a 5 hour energy, a Red Bull and a Monster and was still falling asleep. I don't partake or condone it, but illegal substances are very common in this industry for this very reason.


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## ruinexplorer (Jan 6, 2012)

You can end up with jail time for drowsy driving according to this site. Not only that, but for the same reasons that drunk drivers get into problems, driving while drowsy inhibits motor functions and reaction time due to your body not being able to fully function. Since we know that our judgement can be impaired while tired, you need to make sound decisions while fully awake. Working or operating heavy machinery (driving) wile drowsy is extremely dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. Artificial stimulants may prevent you from actually falling asleep, but they cannot give you full functionality of conciousness. We don't want to see any of you as another statistic from some horrible accident that may have been avoided by a good night's sleep. 

I would also like everyone to please refrain from making comments about substances that you would not recommend. Controlled substances, including prescription medications, have no business backstage if they can impair your judgement in any way. You can cause serious injury or death to you or others. It can also be your ticket out of this business. As testing for substances has improved, you can easily lose your job and end up being blacklisted for being caught. I have witnessed it first hand, and not from habitual users as well. Plus, if you end up working in the corporate world (many of the large tours, permanent shows, etc.), drug testing is mandatory prior to employment.


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## gmff (Jan 6, 2012)

A friend of mine that is a nun that worked long hours and was used to long prayers and sermons told me the way that she stays awake was to sit in the front 1/4 of the chair set or stand with 80% of your weight on one leg. I have tried both and they seem to work well.


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## derekleffew (Jan 7, 2012)

> In 1997, after a 19-hour day on the set, assistant cameraman Brent Hershman fell asleep behind the wheel, crashed his car, and died. Deeply disturbed by Hershman's preventable death, filmmaker and multiple-Oscar-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler shows how sleep deprivation and long work hours are a lethal combination. _Who Needs Sleep?_ is a commentary on our quality of life.



Subsequently, 12on12off :

> No more than 12 hours of work.
> No less than 12 hours of turnaround.
> No more than six hours between meals.


Somewhat controversial as many don't want to sacrifice the overtime compensation.


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## shiben (Jan 7, 2012)

derekleffew said:


> Subsequently, 12on12off :
> 
> Somewhat controversial as many don't want to sacrifice the overtime compensation.


 
Wasnt that the original intent of unions? IIRC, the mantra was 8 hours of labor, 8 hours of recreation, 8 hours of rest. the 12/12 thing seems like it makes sense though... I honestly dont think that anything other than Caffeine is a decent idea for people to use to stay awake, and even that is too easy to overdo and get hurt. Only time I have ever gotten seriously hurt was when I made stupid decisions thanks to too little sleep...


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## DuckJordan (Jan 9, 2012)

Speaking of long calls, got a 16 hr one with breaks taken out of total time already. Its gonna be a fun one....


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## Toffee (Jan 13, 2012)

I know my job requires an 8 hour turn around but even sometimes that doesn't happen. For the most part I stick to coffee (caramel macchiato right here!) or soda (anything really) and the occasional energy drink such as red bull or the rockstar juices if it gets really bad. But I normally just do the eat healthy and drink lots of water route. I love me some coffee though! I don't know if any one has tried it but I was watching some show about the Green Baret and apparently they chew on coffee grounds and some even put tabasco sauce in their eyes to stay awake. No thanks!


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## shiben (Jan 13, 2012)

Toffee said:


> I know my job requires an 8 hour turn around but even sometimes that doesn't happen. For the most part I stick to coffee (caramel macchiato right here!) or soda (anything really) and the occasional energy drink such as red bull or the rockstar juices if it gets really bad. But I normally just do the eat healthy and drink lots of water route. I love me some coffee though! I don't know if any one has tried it but I was watching some show about the Green Baret and apparently they chew on coffee grounds and some even put tabasco sauce in their eyes to stay awake. No thanks!


 
I know a bunch of military people who just eat the contents of the MREs without adding water, just tear and dump into mouth. I would imagine that tabasco in the eye would suck more donkey than would be worth it, also screw up your sighting ability.


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## chausman (Jan 13, 2012)

shiben said:


> I know a bunch of military people who just eat the contents of the MREs without adding water, just tear and dump into mouth. I would imagine that tabasco in the eye would suck more donkey than would be worth it, also screw up your sighting ability.


 
So your saying that theater is somewhere that being able to see what is going on is a good thing? And not adding water to MREs is very common.


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## shiben (Jan 14, 2012)

chausman said:


> So your saying that theater is somewhere that being able to see what is going on is a good thing? And not adding water to MREs is very common.


 
I was mainly saying that if you were, say, spending much of your day looking through a scope for terrorists, having tabasco sauce in your eye might make that less awesome.


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## jacob1402 (Jan 16, 2012)

I just use lots of soda and coffee! We often have 20 - 30 hours days when we are doing shows and sometimes i will have an energy drink but most of the time i just stay busy and try to move around when i can cuz if i sit down i start to crash.


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## MNstudent123 (Apr 11, 2012)

I'm a regular with coffee and having one to two large mugs a day keeps me out of the head ache area, but it takes more than that to really energize me.


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## ruinexplorer (May 10, 2012)

Since I am a big proponent of making sure that your body gets the rest it deserves, after you have flooded your system with caffeine to stay awake, you may want to consider something like this. This isn't a "downer" like sleeping pills (which are generally just the active ingredient in Benadryl), but actually helps your body flush out the caffeine so that you can rest naturally. I doubt that anything will have an effect on all the other "stuff" in energy drinks, but for those of you who chose coffee, this may be of interest. I plan on trying it out anyhow.


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## cbrandt (May 15, 2012)

I'm a huge advocate of lots of good food, and a liberal dose of hydration. Caffiene and too much sugar gives me shakey hands. Never a good thing for a board op or electrician. I enjoy a cup of coffee from time to time just for the beverage itself, and pop as a slight pick me up, but nothing beats calories and good nutrients for an all nighter.


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