Fighting drowsiness

Munacra

I get very drowsy when watching movies. any kind of movie, good ones or bad ones. I don't have bad sleeping patterns or anything, this only happen when I watch movies. I have to pause in the middle, then I start falling asleep, my eyes close, and I try to keep them open, but they still close. Later on, I realize I missed half the movie, and it's very annoying.

As I said, my sleeping patterns are regulated, and this...sudden drowsiness only happens when watching movies.

my questions are: Are there any stimulants besides coffee and sodas to keep me awake? How healthy is coffee?

I don't drink sodas, or anything like that. And I was wondering if maybe cofee isn't as bad as sodas. or is there something more, I don't know, healthwise friendly out there that could help give me just that sudden bolt of energy to keep going.

Kewop Decam

get up and walk around. Stretch your muscles. Stretching allows for better flow of blood which give you more energy and makes you feel more awake.

MiracleManS

When do you start watching the movies? Is it later at night? After a meal or workout?

As far as stimulants go, coffee really isn't that bad for you if you keep it in moderation. Caffeine is a great thing and is beneficial in lower doses for many things (ask any runner or athlete for that matter). If you're going to use caffeine, drink a cup of instant coffee or drip (it has roughly 75mg of caffeine per 8oz cup depending on strength) and seeing as you seem to be avoiding caffeine (do you drink iced tea?) it will perk you right up.

This isn't really the best way to stay attentive for the movie. Maybe eating popcorn during or trying to avoid laying down or other "more comfortable" positions would help out first. I just know that laying down during a movie is almost a surefire way to sleep.

Munacra

As to walking around, I tried that, but it killed the flow of the movie.

I start watching the movies whenever, everytime, just bam, I go out like a light.

the problem seems not in me not being attentive, because otherwise I'd just do something else. I go to sleep even thought i'm fully engaged in the movie. Tonight, I watched four little girls, and I almost fell asleep in my seat.

I think my brain equates something with sleep and I just knock out cold, but I can't figure out what it is, since regardless of me moving around, or sitting down, or laying down, or whatever, I always end up waking up a half hour later wondering what happened.

so coffee isn't that bad then? anything that tastes good? I never tried it before.

MiracleManS

Munacra wrote:

As to walking around, I tried that, but it killed the flow of the movie.

I start watching the movies whenever, everytime, just bam, I go out like a light.

the problem seems not in me not being attentive, because otherwise I'd just do something else. I go to sleep even thought i'm fully engaged in the movie. Tonight, I watched four little girls, and I almost fell asleep in my seat.

I think my brain equates something with sleep and I just knock out cold, but I can't figure out what it is, since regardless of me moving around, or sitting down, or laying down, or whatever, I always end up waking up a half hour later wondering what happened.

so coffee isn't that bad then? anything that tastes good? I never tried it before.

If you really don't want something that taste bad, buy some caffeine pills and just take a quarter of one. That'd be about 50mg of caffeine and should keep you alert and isn't anywhere near enough to be a problematic dosage.

Munacra

thanks. where could I find some? over the counter?

MiracleManS

Yep, almost any grocer will have them. Don't worry about brand, just get the cheapest ones available. Which means whichever generic brand there is there. Like $3 for 90 of them (excessive but they really don't go bad). Instead of Vivarin, which is something like $8 for a box of 20


edit: I keep forgetting to mention this, but if you can find some other way to stay alert, I'd suggest it first. Caffeine is slightly addictive, so I'd suggest not doing this all the time if you're an avid movie watcher (3 or more a week). Also, 50mg isn't enough to do much to you, honestly. You'll get kinda jittery the first time or two, but that will stop after a few uses. That doesn't mean its not working. It's still working, so don't let your brain fool you.

Munacra

thanks for the advice. I'll keep updated whether it works or not.

Thanatos

I'd actually recommend tea. It's not as much of an acquired taste as coffee, and gives you the same health benefits, as well as fewer of the downsides.

GoodOmens

B vitamins sometimes help for me.

EggyToast

Some people have a movie routine and it puts them in a very comfortable position. Like, big sweatshirt, lounging on the couch, with a blanket. Which is pretty close to sleep positions, when you're gonna be sitting there for 2 hours.

You could make sure you sit in a less comfortable position, such as in a chair. But the caffeine thing will probably help a lot more.

Coffee is not bad for you; it gets bad for you when you add a ton of sugar and cream, because you add calories & fat. But as you sound reluctant to change your diet to include caffeinated beverages, I would echo the "caffeine pill" method. Take it right when the movie starts; if you don't regularly consume any caffeine, it'll probably last longer (at least movie length) so you'd be able to last.

If it doesn't work, I don't think caffeine is going to do the trick. But it should work