Be it in the morning, or hitting that mid-day low, sometimes you just can’t afford the time to have a power nap, so you may end up turning to energy drinks to keep you awake.
I find energy drinks very useful in that sense, and they’re usually more affordable than my usual Starbucks order.
Here are some tips and tricks for finding the perfect energy drink to keep you awake.
If you’re in a rush, I find Celsius, NOS and REIZE to be among the best options to keep you awake.
But read on for all the details and a few other notable mentions…
What to look for in energy drinks?
Caffeine
Without caffeine, energy drinks wouldn’t have their coveted energy-boosting effect.
When you’re thinking of drinking an energy drink to keep you awake, it’s best to find one with a good amount of caffeine, suitable for your tolerance.
If you drink an energy drink with a high amount of caffeine, you might get some side effects that may disrupt your day.
Sure, a higher caffeine dosage may keep you awake longer, but you should be careful not to overdose on caffeine. It’s always best to keep below the recommended caffeine limit of 400mg daily.
Sugar
Although sugar also contributes to giving you an energy boost, it is generally unhealthy and may affect your health and waistline negatively.
Hence, before choosing a random energy drink off the shelf, I would recommend that you look at the label as many energy drinks have a crazy high amount of sugar, which is certainly best avoided.
Fortunately, many energy drink companies seem to have come to this realisation as well and now offer low-sugar or sugar-free options.
Guarana
Guarana adds to the caffeine component in energy drinks. Therefore, if you would like a better caffeine boost, you might want an energy drink with added guarana.
However, note that 1g of guarana is roughly equivalent to 40mg of caffeine, and this amount is usually not included in the total caffeine count, so be sure to keep an eye out for the guarana content!
Does caffeine keep you awake?
Put simply, the mechanism behind how caffeine keeps you awake is that it changes how your brain reacts to sleep.
More specifically, a neurotransmitter in your brain, adenosine, causes drowsiness and slows down activity.
When we consume caffeine, it then inhibits the flow of adenosine, which reduces the feeling of fatigue and sleepiness. This explains how caffeine is effective in keeping you awake.
On top of that, caffeine also acts as a stimulator for your brain, which is why you tend to focus better after consuming caffeinated beverages.
How long does caffeine keep you awake?
Due to people reacting differently toward caffeine, there is no set time at which caffeine can keep you awake. Your caffeine tolerance, however, would play a significant role in determining this.
Caffeine’s effects kick in immediately, and it peaks around 45 minutes after consumption. Caffeine also has a half-life of about 5 hours, so the more caffeine you consume, the longer its effects are on you.
Besides that, if you’re more sensitive toward caffeine, you most probably would be kept awake for a longer period of time.
I personally know people who can drink caffeine before bedtime and still get a good sleep —their tolerance must be really high!
Does sugar keep you awake?
Sugar doesn’t keep you awake, but it gives you a surge of energy that can prevent you from feeling sleepy temporarily— in other words, a sugar rush.
With a sugar rush, comes a sugar crash. A sugar crash happens when your sugar has been used up, causing your body to slowly shut down, which will leave you sluggish
This is definitely not beneficial in keeping you awake.
Therefore, you might want to pay attention to your sugar intake to prevent a sugar crash, especially when you need to stay awake for a long period of time.
Can energy drinks keep you awake?
As mentioned above, caffeine and sugar contribute to keeping you awake. Hence, it would only make sense that energy drinks help keep you awake too as it contains both of these ingredients.
It’ll be good to choose energy drinks with suitable caffeine and sugar content, as too much can prove to be counterproductive in keeping you awake.
Are energy drinks good for an all-nighter?
Yes, energy drinks are good for an all-nighter.
Other than depending on caffeinated beverages, you could also try other ways to keep you awake all night, like taking a nap. A power nap or a short rest before you continue your task can freshen you up.
Try to keep away from carbs or sugary items as it would cause a sugar crash which would leave you sluggish afterwards.
Check out my other article on the best energy drinks for an all-nighter for more details.
Does Red Bull help you stay awake?
An 8.4 fl. oz can of Red Bull energy drink contains 80mg of caffeine. A moderate amount should be sufficient enough to keep you awake.
However, Red Bull also contains 27g of sugar, which means a sugar crash could be heading your way, making you feel sluggish once the sugar rushes out of your system.
Due to that, I would recommend you try Red Bull Total Zero or go for other energy drinks instead.
How long does it take for Red Bull to kick in?
The effects of Red Bull kick in almost immediately. You’ll be able to feel an increase in heart rate and blood pressure in the first 10 minutes of consumption.
Approximately 45 minutes later, you’ll be at your peak alertness level—fully energised, most importantly, awake!
Then, an hour or so later, your energy levels would have already passed their peak and will start to deplete.
Which energy drinks keep you awake the longest?
As mentioned earlier, energy drinks with higher caffeine content have a higher likelihood of keeping you awake longer. However, be sure to anticipate some side effects if you consume a large amount of it.
There are energy drinks in the market with up to 350mg of caffeine, that’s way too excessive in my opinion, not to mention potentially dangerous too.
If you’re looking for some good options for high-caffeinated energy drinks, check my article about the strongest energy drinks!
Can energy drinks keep me awake while driving?
Yes, energy drinks can help you stay awake while driving.
When you’re on the road, it’s important to always stay vigilant of your surroundings so as to avoid any accidents. Energy drinks can help you do just that, helping you stay awake behind wheels.
Not only that, grabbing a can of energy drink actually helps you focus better on the road and be more alert to road conditions and other road users.
Which energy drink keeps you awake the most?
| Energy Drinks | Caffeine (mg) | Sugar (g) |
| Celsius Energy Drink | 200 | 0 |
| NOS Energy Drink | 160 | 53 |
| REIZE Energy Drink | 50 | 0 |
Celsius Energy Drink
Celsius Energy Drink (Originals and Naturals) contains 200mg of caffeine, which is quite high but could be suitable for you if you have a higher caffeine tolerance.
I also like the fact that it’s zero sugar, so you wouldn’t have to worry about any sugar crashes afterwards.
If you need a stronger caffeine dosage, Celsius Heat Energy Drink has 300mg of caffeine. Having such a high caffeine content, it places itself among one of the strongest energy drinks!
Before you get excited at the high caffeine content it offers, do remember that with great caffeine comes great side effects (and crashes) too.
Check out my Celsius review here.
NOS Energy Drink
NOS Energy Drink has 160mg of caffeine, which in my opinion is on the moderate side, though I would still personally prefer a lesser amount.
However, the sugar content is way over the top, having 53g of sugar! I can already imagine the sugar rush that’s creeping up. Yikes!
This might be a good option for you if you need a spontaneous energy boost to keep you awake for maybe an hour or so, but definitely expect a sugar crash to come crashing in after that.
Check out my NOS review here.
REIZE Energy Drink
This powdered energy drink contains 50mg of caffeine and you’d be surprised to know that it actually works really well.
I find this caffeine content to be sufficient in keeping me awake, focused, and alert without any side effects, so I’m able to give my 100% focus to whatever I’m doing.
It’s also sugar-free so you can be further assured that you won’t experience any sort of crash later on.
The relatively low caffeine content means that I can drink maybe 2 or 3 servings a day (if I really need to) without worrying about going over the recommended daily caffeine limit of 400mg.
And not to mention, it’s super affordable too—only costing about $1 per drink including shipping right to your doorstep!
Try REIZE today and you might also find that REIZE is the perfect energy drink to consume when you need to stay awake.