Yeah, adrenaline is pretty good at keeping you awake

I don't have anything to keep me awake.

I figure if my body's telling me it's tired I'm better off listening to it. Even if it is short naps. In a crisis I need all 4 cylinders (i.e brain cells) running as well as possible.

Sleep deprivation has it's costs that could affect someone's survival in decreased reaction time/judgment/ etc.

I remember vaguely some studies out regarding residents and the number of medical errors that are made when they pull very long shifts without sufficient rest.

Perhaps to keep a concussion victim awake? Isn't it bad for them to go to sleep?

Is the ammonia or whatever capsules you break and hold under their nose for that? If they are unconscious how do you administer internal stimuli like the one's discussed here?

So far I think the thread is focused on keeping yourself awake.

Stimulants are a bad idea. A very, very popular bad idea. But there is some convincing research that indicates that caffeine improves performance in some athletic events.9http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/%20WSSAN008/35320/35322/384533.html?d=dmtHMSContent)
der to improve our performance. Why not add caffeine?

The ammonia inhalants are a noxious stimulus that is used, if at all, to sort out the folks who are feigning from those who are fainting. Fun for torturing colleagues,perking up malingerers, annoying the bosses. Medically useless, though, as suggested earlier, amusing as heck.

We wake up concussion victims to make sure that we can. Sleep is good, coma is bad. Declining level of consciousness is the earliest sign of serious closed head injury, and indicates a need for, probably, opening the skull and relieving the pressure. AMK does not currently manufacture an FAK equipped for craniotomy, but it's only a matter of time.

My body can keep me awake via naturally produced chemicals if need be (such as adrenaline and dopamine). I do not train my body to rely on an introduced stimulant of any kind.
Proper nutrition, exercise, skills practice to increase efficiency, perceptual and mental acuity training, activity compatibilty management and time management, rest at appropriate times, and good attitude, are for the most part, all that is needed.
You don't need a pill. You are a dynamic being with inherent systems and subsystems galore.
Don't believe the hype about stimulants. They act disharmoniously in the human body. There are addictive. But, I think that if I was addicted to caffeine already, I would only drink small amounts of white tea, which has less caffeine than green or black.
Aside, tea also has flourine in it, and the general consensus concerning it is "No".

My friends serving in the middle east use the infamous little bottle of tabasco from an M.R.E... Just a little drop in one eye and your NOT going to fall asleep on the night watch. (Hint, don't put it in your "strong" IE: aiming firearms eye)

I didn't know this. (I'm not a coffee drinker) Care to elaborate?

Yeah - caffeine, or any stimulant works a HECK of a lot better with fuel to burn - and "long term" stores (aka your body fat) doesn't really cut it - basically you need to ingest either some carbs, or sugars (or a mix of both) to give the caffeine to work with. So have a slice of bread, or a Clif Bar, or just dump a bunch of sugar and milk in your coffee

I've actually thought of asking my MD to wirte me a scipt for some provigil. I actually have real sleep issues that can actually make me droze off at times, sometimes while doing important tasks