3 Reasons to NEVER pull an All-Nighter Again

Do not read this if you care more about momentary pleasure than your family, job, or health. That’s right- pulling an all-nighter can ruin what you hold most dear in life, so please- aviod it at all costs.

There are many reasons for needing to stay up all night, whether it be to write a paper, to get to a destination, or to keep the party rolling. I’ll be honest in saying that sometimes all-nighters are unavoidable, but more times than not, you can afford to get some sleep despite the circumstances you find yourself in. The decision to stay awake all night costs much more than you might think, let me tell you why:

1. Lack of Proper Judgement

Those feel-good endorphins come out when you stay up late, which in time lead to potentially risky behavior. How terrible it is for the person who is fired from their job because they were caught vandalizing in the middle of the night. That effects family life, friendships, and even your own self-worth. Thinking this through before you decide to dance the night away makes all the difference.

2. Increased Anxiety

Once the night is through, all that euphoria takes a 180 degree turn. Suddenly the morning comes, all the responsibilities for the day come flooding into your head, and you become quite anxious. Your body has not had time to properly refresh itself, so you sludge through the day, in a whirlwind of negative emotions. You get nothing accomplished because of this mindset, and everyone around you notices. If only you had gotten some sleep!

3. Weight Gain

With all the negative emotions in your mind, you turn to something that instantly gratifies- something sweet or decadent, your version of edible energy and happiness all-in-one. Reality is- your weakened body cannot properly metabolize those foods full of processed ingredients and chemicals. Rather, it stores all the food you eat as fat, keeping you from utilizing the food as energy for your day. Exercise becomes a double-edged sword, because if you muster up the energy for a workout, your body goes into overdrive and any strength benefits are quickly squashed. Your body must be metabolically sound to benefit from a workout, and that is simply impossible with no sleep.

There you have it! If that doesn’t sway you over to your bed tonight, here are a few ways to nurse your body back to health after staying up all night (for the rare occasions that it is unavoidable):

1. Steer clear of any type of processed foods, like cereal, bars, crackers, and cookies. Instead, fill up on metabolism-boosting foods like chicken, fish, all vegetables, nuts, and eggs. You will find that these foods keep you from crashing hard 2 hours after a meal.
2. Soak up some revitalizing sunrays by taking a walk outside, even if it’s only a few minutes long!
3. Drink an enormous glass of water, and add lemon if you’d like! Your body can run much better if it is properly hydrated, and it could use all the refreshment it can get after a night of no sleep.

Sleep is one of the most important keys to overall health, so be sure to get high quality sleep each night. Avoid all-nighters at all costs, and your body and mind will thank you for it