Perk up! Survival skills after a sleepless night

It’s time to head to work, and you are anything but rested and ready. Here are some strategies to help you survive the workday after a sleepless night

BY BARBARA T. NELLES

You are in the business of selling the importance of a good night’s sleep, but what to do on those rare occasions when you’re on the job after having been up all night? We were inspired by Melissa Dahl’s “Science of Us” blog at New York Magazine, as well as tips from the Better Sleep Council, to offer this step-by-step approach to powering through a full day of work on virtually no sleep.

So, whether you were up with a sick child, watching a “Breaking Bad” marathon, or tossing and turning with insomnia all night, here’s how to drag yourself from bed and get through the day.

Hint: You won’t perform anywhere near your peak, but we hope at least to keep you in an upright position while in a showroom filled with comfortable mattresses!

Get out of bed. The snooze button is not your friend! Hitting it on your alarm clock over and over only will make you feel worse. That’s not restorative sleep—in fact, it’s torture. Better to set your alarm for the latest possible awakening time and then force yourself off your premium mattress.

Do not skip breakfast. Start the day with a protein-rich meal. All carbs, like that pastry with your triple-shot cappuccino, pick you up—and drop you just as quickly. Leave enough time to scarf down some scrambled eggs, instead.

Grab a “cuppa joe.” Even if you’re not a coffee drinker, make an exception this morning. A jolt of caffeine is required when you’re operating on no sleep.

Leave your sunglasses at home. Getting outside into the natural, morning light—without the filter of sunglasses—will help reset your confused circadian rhythms and jog your brain awake.

Speaking of jogging. Try some light exercise this morning, but don’t over do it. Exercise can be energizing when you’re exhausted.

Lie low. Avoid challenging tasks and big decisions today, and tackle the mindless busy work you’ve been putting off for months. If your mood is particularly sour, leave customer interactions to co-workers. You’ll make it up to them another day, when they come in puffy-eyed and tired.

Eat a light lunch. Face it, by afternoon, exhaustion will hit. A heavy lunch is a recipe for disaster, especially when you must return to your bed-filled store.

Take a nap. If rest-testing on the showroom floor is out of the question, see if you can slip away for a few minutes in the back room or on a comfy park bench nearby.