I've done one before and am looking at another really late night (hopefully not all-nighter but I'm prepared to deal with that too) tonight, so I thought I'd share my tips for surviving an all-nighter and making it through the next day, too.
The All-Nighter
Rule #1: Don't panic. If it seems as though there's no way around it, you will be up to at least the wee hours of the morning, step back for a second. Take a deep breath, calm down. Yes, it stinks, and yes, you will survive.
Rule #2: This is work time. Focus on your project or essay or assignment for large chunks of time, and take short breaks occasionally. Don't multitask (Facebook, chats/texting, email) because you'll just be up later then. Save your work frequently.
Rule #3: Hydrate. Stay away from the energy drinks. If you need caffeine, I opt for tea (consumed at least 3 cups of black tea, don't remember how many more). You might prefer coffee or soda, that's ok. If you finish early and can go to bed for a few hours, you will probably be tired enough that you can fall asleep quickly. Water is always a good alternative too, just to stay hydrated.
Rule #4: Eat something. Don't eat junk food. Go for something nutritious, like nuts and fruit or whole grain toast. This will help prevent you from getting sick the next day. If you're drinking something high in caffeine, like coffee, it's really important for you.
Rule #5: Don't do it on your bed. This is almost a guarantee that you will fall asleep. I stayed in a study room, a not very comfortable couch, a barstool, and at one point I recall standing at the counter to keep myself from falling asleep.
Rule #6: At some point, take a quick break to wash your face and brush your teeth, or even hop in the shower. Put on your pjs if you want, or other comfy clothes (but stay away from the bed and stay upright). You'll come back feeling really refreshed.
The Next Day
Rule #1: Make sure you get up for whatever it is you have to be up for. For me, that's class and work. If you think you might be asleep at that time, tell a friend the night before and ask them to call you and make sure you're up. It might take a couple of tries, but you'll be glad they did.
Rule #2: Please don't drive. You haven't gotten nearly enough sleep, if any, so you're more or less as impaired as a drunk driver. Stay out of the driver's seat.
Rule #3: If you drank caffeinated drinks through the night, keep drinking them. Stopping will cause a sleepy-crash.
Rule #4: A quick nap can be your friend. Know that you might actually fall asleep though, so set an alarm. A 30 minute nap is good for light sleep. If you crash for longer than that, better make sure you wake up on an even 90 minutes or so. In between those times is a recipe for feeling more groggy than when you laid down.
Rule #5: Get really good sleep the next night. You need to make up for your sleep loss. You might actually sleep deeper and longer than you normally would, so keep that in mind.
The Day After
There's no rules for this day, just keep in mind that you're on Day 2 of recovery so you'll still probably feel a little slow. By Day 3, you should be back to normal. Keep getting good sleep for a few days to make up for the missed sleep.
Beware the sleepy hahas.
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