How to Pull an All Nighter With a Friend

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

All-nighters are fun, and a way to challenge yourself and your friends! To get the most fun from an all-nighter, you need to prepare yourself to stay awake, eat the right foods, and plan stimulating activities. During an all-nighter, you can leave behind daily routines and just commit to whatever activities you want.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Planning Fun Activities

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Tell scary stories in a circle. Every should be sitting around in a circle. You can make them up, or you and your friends can read from a book. There are also websites with scary stories archived that you can read from.
- Challenge each other and have people write their own scary stories and read them.
2
Host a video game party if you’re all gamers. Plan a lineup of multiplayer video games for whichever console you’re using. Invite your friends to bring some of their own multiplayer games, as well.^{[1]
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- Host an MMO party, or mass multiplayer online gaming party, and invite friends to bring laptops to have adventures in a computer game.
- Another example could be multiplayer racing, fighting, or cooperative shooters.
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3
Plan a scavenger hunt around your home. When planning a scavenger hunt, you should choose a theme. If it’s a holiday-based hunt, hide items that pertain to the holiday. It could also be a theme based on a show you and your friends like, and you could hide items around the house that are related to the show.^{[2]
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- Make sure you explain the rules clearly to everyone, and provide them with their own list of rules
4
Make stamps with craft foam and wooden blocks. To make stamps, press adhesive craft foam shapes onto wooden blocks. You can either buy craft foam shapes from the store, or you can cut them out yourself.
- Use any shapes you want, such as stars, hearts, or smiley faces.
5
Apply a coat of paint to the foam shapes. Use any color paint you want for the stamp. Paint is supposed to serve a similar purpose to ink for the stamps. Stamp the shapes on the pillow cases.
- The pillowcases should be prewashed before anyone can stamp them.
- To change paint colors, wash the stamps in water and let them dry before applying more paint.
6
Make edible jewelry with candy. Using a plastic needle, thin yarn, or baker’s twine, thread the string through the gummy candies. Thread the center candy first, and then add the rest on each side of it.
- Use a paper towel to wipe off the needle between each piercing, flavors don’t mix. You can use any gummy candy, including gummy bears, Life Savers, Twizzlers, gummy berries, and so on.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Keeping Yourselves Awake at Night

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Consume snacks high in carbs and protein throughout the night. Sugar in candy will make you crash, whereas protein can sustain you for a longer period of time. Peanut butter and beef jerky are full of protein to keep you awake.^{[3]
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- Avoid heavy meals like pasta and fried chicken, because they will make you sleepy.
- Get food that is easy to prepare. Also make sure you have coffee ready for brewing. If you don't drink coffee, tea is a healthier option, because it also has antioxidants. However, be wary of caffeine levels. Teens 12 to 18 years of age should not consume more than 100 milligrams (0.10 g) of caffeine per day.^{[4]
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- Take B vitamins with a healthy meal, so your body absorbs them and you experience their full benefits.^{[5]
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2
Keep your room temperature moderate. People fall asleep when the temperature is 65 °F (18 °C). If you can, keep the room around 75 °F (24 °C) to keep you and your friends more alert. You can also layer on clothes if your thermostat isn’t working well.^{[6]
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- If you are on the computer, turn the lighting to dark as to not to strain your eyes, or to make you sleepy.
- Don't wear clothing that relaxes you. It could help you relax and eventually fall asleep.
3
Go for walks every 45 minutes with your friends. If your parents won’t let you walk around the neighborhood at night, maybe you can walk around the premises of your home. It should be easy to take regular breaks if you’re drinking lots of water, because you’ll have to use the bathroom often.^{[7]
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- Having a ghost hunt in your backyard or basement at night will get your adrenaline flowing. Bring flashlights and cameras to look for paranormal activity and spook yourselves.
4
Splash a cup of ice water on yourself every time you start feeling drowsy. Cold water shocks your system and wakes you up. Splash cold water on your face three times in the bathroom.^{[8]
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- Encourage everyone to do this at your all-nighter, but don’t do it to them, because they might get annoyed.
- Drinking ice cold water may also keep you awake and hydrated.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Finding Healthy Ways to Boost Your Energy in Advance

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Sleep for as long as possible the night before. Getting more sleep the night before will make you more alert for an all-nighter. You’ll be able to stay to stay up and have more fun with your friends.^{[9]
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- If you are free from work or school during the weekend, Saturday is a better day than Friday to pull an all-nighter, because you can probably sleep longer in the morning.
- Use relaxation techniques to get a full night of sleep. Try meditation, deep breathing, and reading.^{[10]
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- Don’t drink caffeine during the evening before the all-nighter.
2
Eat healthy during the day. Make sure you eat healthy food such as fruits and lean proteins during the day, as you will not be cooking during the night. Eating foods full of B vitamins, whole grains, and iron will give you the nutrition you need all day, so you can stay up all night.^{[11]
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- Eggs are abundant in B vitamins, so start the day with eggs and whole grain toast.
- Graze on nuts and fruit throughout the day for protein and healthy carbs.
3
Take a caffeine power nap before the all-nighter begins. Drink a serving of caffeine right before your nap. Set an alarm for 15 to 30 minutes to take a nap. Don’t sleep longer than 30 minutes, or it won’t be a power nap.^{[12]
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- Dimming the lights and cooling down your room will make you drowsy enough for a nap.
- Consume enough caffeine where you don’t trigger anxiety or other health issues. However, adolescents ages 12 to 18 should not exceed 100 milligrams (0.10 g) a day.^{[13]
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- Caffeinated beverages will say on their nutrition labels how much caffeine is in them.

Warnings

Don’t make all-nighters a habit, because they can cause severe sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation can exacerbate already existing mental health and physical health issues.^{[15]
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Make sure you don't have anything important to do the day after an all-nighter. Chances are you won't be able to sleep as much as you need during the day.^{[16]
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Don't drive home from an all-nighter. Driving while extremely tired and jittery from all the caffeine is as dangerous as driving drunk. Get a taxi or have someone pick you up.^{[17]
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