The Sleep Thread

[mormannoob]

i want to know how are you able to stay awake during build season?
(ie caffine, sugar, random joke sessions,etc.)
my team lives off of mountain dew

[santosh]

I am not sure. Yestrday I spent 6 hours at the mill, went to watch the superbowl, and then did homework till 3.
I think it is becuase of the nightmares I have that tell us that we are behind on our schedule... lol

[Pavan Dave]

Last year and this year, a large part of our awareness is due to caffine and sugar, but along with that there are some groups that like to have some fun every once in a while that you would call "random joke sessions" and that is what keeps me and my friends up.

One thing that we did last year was that the weekend before ship, some of us students and some of the mentors shotgunned Mountain Dew and were pretty much just joking around and relaxing for a while due to the long hours and work we put into the bot. It was kind of a celebration if you would call it that.

Although work is very important for robotics, I am a strong believer that "All work and no play makes everyone crazy."

Pavan.

[mormannoob]

true but unfortunately there are people on my team who abuse that philosophy

[newton418]

Last year, one of my friends and I created a new sleeping schedule. During our physics class (2nd period) both of us were falling asleep like crazy, and we came up with the idea of going to bed immediately after getting home. I would get home at 8, sleep until 4, do homework, then get ready for school. Not only did it solve our physics problem, but we became a lot more productive during the last couple weeks of the build season. So far I haven't needed to do that this season, but I'm prepared.

If that's not an option, elements energy drink can do wonders, just be prepared to crash the next day.

[waiakea2024]

not quite sure how our team stays awake through build season....we just do.

[mormannoob]

how much dew is too much

[Asiatique296]

my team stays awake by running at intervals to get the blood pumping. Pepsi and pizza helps too. joking constantly keeps us laughing and alert. You never know when the joke's going to be on you.

For all the energy drink junkies out there, look up XS. It's healthy, and gives you a more well rounded boost, with less of a crash. Does wonders for me. For example, a monster will give my body a 2 hour high, with a 1 hour crash. XS gives me a 5 hour, slightly less kick, but has no crash. Look it up.

I also get lots (8 hours! woo!) of sleep.

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

Let me be old-fashioned and confess that I have never had an energy drink and I have never had Dew. Save the "You haven't lived lecture" I've heard them all.

I recommend a 20 minute to 30 minute nap. No more, no less. Any more than an hour of sleep tells your body that it's bedtime - waking up is consequentially rougher. A short nap (cat style) is more of a quick energy boost - usually enough to carry you through the rest of the evening, and has no crash.

[DonRotolo]

What is this SLEEP of which you speak? I am unaware of such a thing....

[Kaizer007]

Well, Clinton... mormannoob, I am still up trying to discover the secret of closed system pneumatics around midnight, and we stopped working at school around 8:30 tonight.

Although I don't hardly sleep, it is always fun building the giant mountain dew pyramid on the desk right behind our programmers after drinking the contents. The first person to knock it over has to pick them all up.

And pizza helps, while the play philosophy is badly abused in our team... we are however very energenic, and always remember, an apple wakes you up better than caffine, but only in the morning.

See you in 9 hours.

[Wayne Doenges]

Sleep did not come in the KOP so it is illegal to use it
Anyone caught sleeping will be severely beaten about the head and shoulder with poof balls

[Weepy]

A light heart will carry you through dark times.
Dreams of grandeur and laughter keep us awake.
Arguements about the fundementals of Eastern religions and how Farscape is better than Stargate Atlantis keeps our blood rushing.

Plus, most of us are used to running late nights. Everyone on the team from my high school sleeps at 2:00 am at any given weekday. Compared to some of the other things I've done in the past, working on the robot is relaxing!

Energy drinks are no good. Plus, most of the team built up an immunity to sugar and caffiene. It'd take 10 liters of Pepsi for us to feel anything at this point.

[Protronie]

Coffee... thick and black. If its been on the heat pad for a few hours the better.
I never wash out my coffee cup either...when you take a sip it should curl your toes and make your hair stand up.

A good trick for teams in the frozen north... take a break and run outside for a few minutes. Also keep them heat in the shop low.

And remember... Sleep for wimps!
Good Luck!