Forget coffee, CAT VIDEOS are the best way to give your body a boost: Chemists reveal how to stay alert without caffeine
- The American Chemical Society has produced tips to help stay awake
- It recommends viral cat videos as they boost hormones involved in focus
- Drinking water is also recommended as dehydration can increase fatigue
- It says dancing and listening to music can also make people feel energised
Most of us have suffered from that mid-afternoon lull when it's a struggle to keep our eyes open and we reach for a cup of coffee.
But this mid-afternoon pick-me-up can have a dramatic impact on sleep later that night.
To help keep people alert, without also damaging their night-time routine, a group of chemists has revealed how to stay awake without caffeine.
They suggest a series of ways of boosting the body's energy levels, including watching viral cat videos, dancing, listening to music and turning on lights.
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Many people struggle to stay awake at their desks in the afternoon (stock image pictured), but a series of tips from the American Chemical Society can help workers feel more alert without having to reach for a coffee
According to the video produced by the American Chemical Society, watching funny videos of cats, while perhaps not the best way to please your boss, can give you a mood boost.
This is because watching enjoyable clips can increase the levels of oxytocin, the so-called cuddle hormone, in the brain and decrease levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, making it easier to concentrate.
The video also recommends drinking plenty of water.
The chemists added: 'Dehydration can lead to fatigue, not to mention more serious symptoms like confusion, heart palpitations and fainting.
'The adult human body is 50 to 65 per cent water. We typically start to get thirsty when we have lost two to three per cent of our body's water.
'Believe it or not it can affect you mentally and physically when you have lost just one per cent.
Listening to music triggers the release of hormones like oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin (illustrated above) which can provide a boost to mood and also help to make the brain more alert
'This is because it is a major component the plasma in our blood, which transports oxygen, proteins and other nutrients your body needs to function properly.'
The chemists also recommend dancing to music as it can produce endorphins that leave people feeling happier and more energised.
Music is known to trigger pleasure circuits in the brain to release hormones like oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin to give a mood boost.
The chemists suggest also turning on some bright lights or venturing outside. This is because bright lights can activate neurones in the hypothalamus to release a neurotransmitter called hypocretin.
This regulates wakefulness and appetite. People who suffer from the most common form of narcolepsy, where sufferers suddenly fall asleep, have a lack of hypocretin.
The chemists continued: 'Some research has shown a direct connection between bright lights in general and alertness.
'Getting out and taking a quick walk in the sun might just be all you need to get the rest of the day running smoothly.'
However they add that sometimes perhaps the only solution is to take a quick nap.
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