We have all had times in our lives where we cannot avoid going without sleep. Here is a little trick to dealing with early morning labs/classes/meetings alertly after only 4 hours of sleep.

One half hour before going to bed (youve finished your studying/project/proposal and just need to print it out and get ready for morning) have a small glass of Coke. I know this seems insane, but the truth about caffeine is that it takes 3 hours to hit your system.

The initial buzz you get is a overlay of a sugar high with the temporary alieviation of caffeine withdrawal symptoms, both of which will leave you crashing to a low and instant sleep as soon as your head hits the pillow, especially if you have a White Noise source running.

Now while you sleep that caffeine will process and 1 hour before you wake your system will perk-up -- and when your alarm goes at that ungodly hour, you will find yourself oddly alert.

Dont forget to take another hit before you leave the house, becasue the effects will fade after a few hours.

And remember, this is only a cheat -- you will get very tired in the afternoon, and its not the best thing to do to your system in the everyday.

But in a pinch, it works.