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Staying awake (and alert)
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by G3CWI on February 17, 2001
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I'm entering the RSGB 7MHz DX Contest next weekend (24/25 Feb). What tips do you have for staying awake and alert. The test starts at 1500z and runs till 0900z. Should I sleep until 1500Z, what should I eat and drink before and during the test (I guess that a 24 pack of Buds is not on the list but would be pleased to be proved wrong). This contest is real hard work with an average QSO rate of just 20/hr in the 100 Watt section.
Those who have done the ARRL CW this w/e should know what works...
73
Richard
G3CWI
www.qsl.net/g3cwi
PS I would welcome extra QSOs during the contest to keep me awake.
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RE: Staying awake (and alert)
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by G1GYC on February 18, 2001
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Richard,
Staying awake ....
Drinks :-
1) Strong coffee (unsweetened)
2) Natural Orange Juice
3) if you need a sugar boost coke or similar.
Eat light foods, little amounts but at frequent intervals. I find things like crisp bread and (dry !!) cornflakes or toasted bread good.
Staying alert....
this is the hard bit you have got to keep your mind active, working on some problem.
It would be easier to stay awake over the time period you are looking at if you can shift your body�s natural clock round....
Like working night shifts after a while that is the "normal" thing.
Makes you (well made me) a bit of a bear with a soar head during the change from day work to night working.
good luck Martin
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RE: Staying awake (and alert)
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by s51ta on February 19, 2001
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Hello!
I believe it is realy hard to stay awake sometimes but from contest to contest you are in better shape!
At my beggining I wasdrinking a lot of coffee and felt good for a while but after few hours I felt terrible, you must go to WC non stop and when you wake up you have heavy head! So do not drink coffee althought you can feel better at that moment!
I suggest you to drink light juice or water with some vitamins or so, eat light food!
The best way to stay awake is pileup, and 2nd thing have fun! I know it is hard and there are moments that you do not care any more and maybe that is moment to get some sleep maybe one hour or so!
It is better to lose 20qso in one hour of sleep than loose them 100Q because you will be sleepy all the time!
Just get some sleep b4 contest!
To me it is no problem to work 24hours without sleeping before 48 is another story...
Have fun and thing about things that makes you happy!
73 cu Ted, s51ta
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RE: Staying awake (and alert)
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by N2MG on February 23, 2001
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While it's important to have some techniques to shake the "sleepies" while you're operating (operating while standing up, mind-over-matter thinking, etc.), I feel that one should first learn to maximize the effectiveness of one's sleep. This is not to be taken lightly.
For starters, read this:
http://www.yccc.org/Features/sleep.htm
Personally, I gave up the regular drinking of coffee (at work I used to have 2 cups a day) and caffeinated sodas (one or two Pepsis a day) several months ago - just before the 2000 CQWW SSB contest. I regressed shortly right after the contest, but before CQWW CW I reaffirmed my "caffeine-free-ness" and have not gone back! Sure I have a cup once or twice a month plus a few Cokes, but that's it. Yeah, there's a bit of a hangover period when you first kick it, but it only lasted me a day. The immediate benefit was that I no longer got the dang weekend caffeine headache that I used to get because in the past I almost never had any coffee at home. So every Saturday, around 2PM, I'd get a headache. No more!
Not having caffeine in your system also (according to experts) makes sleep more effective - highly desirable in contests where it comes in only short bursts).
During contests, I follow the one-sleep-unit mentality - a sleep unit being 1.5 hours. Again, experts have shown that people sleep in 90 minute cycles and that awaking at the end of a 90 minute interval (1.5 hours, 3.0 hours, etc.) is fairly easy. Some have success with 30 minute power naps when they don't want to devote an entire 90 minutes - while not as restful (I think because it avoids deep sleep) it is effective in preventing head-nods. I do this when driving sometimes. Don't forget to include 15 minutes or so of winding-down time before the sleep period.
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RE: Staying awake (and alert)
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by nfn on September 20, 2001
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I find that a good way to stay awake is having about 8-9 dexamphetamine pills per hour (say do this for about 8 hours, followed by 3 cups of ultra strength tea (3 - 5 teabags in a cup with lots of sugar) for every tablet and a winfield gold ciggarette for every cup of tea. On top of this you can also have several guarana, v's or berocca drinks or tablets plus any amount of no-doze caffeine pills. I have not yet tried street speed or crystal meth in this way but i am sure it would be more affective. Plus coke and lots of it.
Happy awakening.
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