When you’re in need to pull an all-nighter to get your pending work done or need to survive the night shift, all you need is an extra boost of energy.
Energy drinks that are high in caffeine content and sugar can give you that advantage. However, it’s not recommended to consume them regularly for these instances.
Whether you’re trying to pull your all-nighter for other reasons or working night shifts, I hope this article will help you find the right energy drink.
So without further ado, let’s dive right in!
What To Look For In An Energy Drink For Your All-Nighter
Energy drinks have several components which energize you. However, three main components can help you stay awake.
Caffeine
Caffeine has some amazing benefits to your health if consumed in moderation. It can help you stay alert and focus. Also, caffeine helps to fight your fatigue and tiredness.
It works by speeding up the nerve activities.
Sugar
Sugar is another source of energy in the form of carbohydrates. Our bodies turn glucose into energy. However, you should be careful about consuming sugar in excessive amounts.
According to AHA, the recommended daily limit are as follows:
- 36 grams or 9 teaspoons for men
- 25 grams or 6 teaspoons for women
You can watch this video to learn more about sugar:
Taurine
Taurine is another key ingredient found in energy drinks. It helps to boost the effect of caffeine in your body and make you feel more energized.
Taurine has other vital roles in your body:
- Fight diabetes
- Improve heart health
- Boost exercise performance
- Improve eye-sight and hearing
How Long Can Energy Drinks Keep You Awake?
Caffeine present in energy drinks acts as an active stimulant and helps you stay awake, but a lot of it depends on your caffeine tolerance.
It has a half-life of 5 hours. For instance, if you consume caffeine at 2 pm, your body will eliminate all of it by midnight. Of course, activity levels, age, and weight will play a role in this too.
Added to this, you are likely to feel its effect within 15-45 minutes after consumption.
What Are The Best Energy Drinks For All-Nighters?
There are plenty of energy drinks in the market. Amongst them, I am suggesting some of my top choices:
| Brand | Caffeine | Sugar | Calories |
| Monster (per 16 fl. oz) | 160 mg | 54 g | 210 |
| Rockstar (per 16 fl. oz) | 160 mg | 24 g | 122 |
| Bang (per 16 fl.oz) | 300 mg | 0 | 0 |
| NOS (per 16 fl.oz) | 160 mg | 54 g | 160 |
| Red Bull (per 8.4 fl. oz) | 80 mg | 27 g | 110 |
| 5 Hour Energy (per 1.93 fl.oz) | 200 mg | 0 g | 4 |
Monster Energy Drink
A 16 fl. oz can of Monster energy drink contains 160 mg of caffeine, 54 grams of sugar, and 210 calories.
No list is complete without mentioning Monster energy drink. It’s popular for its reliable boost and the great flavors that come with it.
Its biggest perk is its vast availability, along with the variety of flavors that make it likely for anyone to find one they would enjoy.
For those who are a bit concerned about its calorie count and sugar content, then Zero Ultra could be a viable option for you.
The price of the drink is around $3 per can.
If you want to read more about Monster Energy Drink, you can check out my more detailed article here.
Red Bull Energy Drink
Another familiar energy drink would be Red Bull, which by now is a household name for energy drinks.
A typical Red Bull energy drink has 80 mg of caffeine per 8.4 fl. oz can with 27 grams of sugar and 110 calories.
It has just the right amount of caffeine to stimulate your brain function, making you feel concentrated and alert. On that same note, the average amount of caffeine present in Red Bull helps you stay awake and energized.
Read more about Red Bull in this article that I wrote.
Rockstar Energy Drink
Rockstar Energy Drink has 160 mg caffeine per 16 fl. oz can, along with 24 grams of sugar and 122 calories.
The caffeine will help you to stay awake and focused throughout the night. Plus, the high amount of sugar (24g) sugar will give you that perfect energy boost.
Given that, it’s always a good idea to know your average daily calorie content. The recommended daily calorie intake is 2,500 calories per day for men and 2,000 calories for women. It also depends on levels of activity, metabolism, and genes.
Moreover, the ingredients like Taurine, Guarana Extract, Ginseng Root Extract make Rockstar filled with healthy nutrients. Hence, 160mg caffeine and 24g sugar, and other ingredients will surely help you stay awake at night.
A can costs around $2.
BANG
A 16 fl. oz serving of bang energy drink has 300 mg caffeine and sugar-free calorie-free.
If you have a moderate to high caffeine tolerance, you can consume this 300 mg of caffeine energy drink.
This drink is considered one of the most caffeinated energy drinks in the market, alongside Adrenaline Shoc, Reign, and some versions of C4 energy drink.
Bang energy drink contains artificial sweetener sucralose, which is 400-700 times sweeter than sugar. It does not affect blood sugar or even insulin. However, if you consume it for a long period of time, it may affect your good gut bacteria.
Overall, you can rely on Bang Energy Drink to give you a solid energy boost for 12 hours. It’s best to ensure that you’ve built up your caffeine tolerance level before making Bang part of your life.
If your body isn’t used to high caffeinated beverages, you might experience nasty side effects. Bear in mind that it is not a beginner-friendly energy drink.
NOS Energy Drink
A 16 fl. oz of NOS Energy Drink has 160 mg of caffeine, 54 g of sugar, and 160 calories.
NOS energy drink provides you with a sustained energy boost with its enriched powerful supplements. It also contains plenty of vitamins that can help you to stay energized throughout the night.
That said, the main concern here is the high amount of sugar. According to the American Heart Association, the amount of sugar in this drink is more than twice the recommended sugar intake limit for women.
A logical step would be to drink the sugar-free version, although, personally, I’m not too fond of its taste.
5-Hour Energy
Each serving of 5-Hour Energy (1.93 fl. oz) has 200mg of caffeine, it’s sugar-free, and contains only 4 calories.
These bad boys may come in tiny servings, but they sure pack a punch given that 1 fluid ounce nearly contains 100 mg each! For reference, your average 16. fl. oz drink would have even less than what 5-Hour Energy contains.
If you’re curious about 5-Hour Energy, read more here.
Hence, this energy drink wraps up our list of best energy drinks for all-nighters.
What Are The Tips To Pulling An All-Nighter Without Energy Drinks?
There are several ways by which you can keep yourself energized when wishing to pull an all-nighter. Here’s a recap of quick tips.
- take a nap
- drink coffee
- turn up the light
- move your body
- avoid Multitasking
- listen to a high BPM song
Final Thoughts
Pulling an all-nighter occasionally happens to most of us. It may be because we’re cramming a deadline that we simply don’t have time for due to our daytime obligations.
While once in a while is acceptable, it’s best practice not to make a habit of sleep deprivation and forcing yourself to stay up when you’re tired. Of course, energy drinks like those listed here come in handy, but they don’t come in as replacements for good time management and restful sleep.
That being said, I hope this shortlist of my recommended energy drinks helped you get a better insight into their own set of perks and strengths. Happy drinking.