Stay Alert without Coffee

Daylight Saving Time. The phrase has been striking cold fear into the hearts of people who like to sleep in on Sundays since it was first implemented in Germany and Austria in 1916. (You can blame New Zealand native George Hudson who dreamed the whole thing up.) Retailers love it. Farmers, not so much. And until your body has made its complete adjustment, you're probably not too crazy about it either (unless you're lucky enough to be living in Arizona and certain parts of Indiana who have the good sense to pass on the whole magilla).

We can't give you that hour back, but here are some tips on how to weather the inevitable post-DST change grogginess without the benefit of coffee or caffeine.

Grab a nap. No longer than 25 minutes, and no closer to you normal bedtime than 6 hours. Naps are the number one was to sharpen your alertness and banish your grogginess, the after the clocks change or any day of the year.

Grab something to eat. Low blood sugar can make you feel foggy and mentally lethargic. So eating a small snack when you're running low on energy is a perfect counterpoint. Look for something high in protein, such as peanut butter or even a protein bar.

Grab a drink of water. A Tufts University study showed that even a loss of 1 to 2 percent of the water in your body could cause fatigue and confusion. Dehydration can also cause heart palpitations and fainting.

Grab some sunshine. Bright light triggers your hypothalamus, a part of the brain that controls our circadian rhythms. These are what regulate sleep and wakefulness.

Grab some tunes. Music, particularly loud music, can help you stay alert. But not just any music, listen to your special playlist, your favorite songs, as these will activate the release of feel-good chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin in your brain.

Grab some exercise. A quick run up and down the stairs or around the parking lot will get your endorphins flowing and help you keep awake, and relieve stress.

Grab hold of that computer monitor's on/off switch and toggle it. As much as 95 percent of Americans are at risk for so-called computer vision syndrome. All that time spent staring at a screen causes eye irritation and dryness, eye strain, blurred or double vision, headache, and shoulder and neck pain.