Shortcuts: How to stay awake at night

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CNN -- As sports fans in Great Britain burn the midnight oil watching the Ashes cricket series in Australia, CNN reveals the do's and don'ts of surviving all night, or doing an all-nighter, without succumbing to the ravages of tiredness.

Invite a friend over: Finding a fellow-night owl to share your insomnia is highly recommended. It is a lot harder to fall asleep when you have somebody else staying awake with you. However, a platonic friend is a safer option rather than somebody you are romantically involved with just in case animalistic urges rear their head, which would undoubtedly result in falling asleep eventually!

Eat and drink regularly: Drinking plenty of water is a top health tip in any circumstance and at night it is particularly crucial. Although this results in regular trips to the lavatory, that ultimately is the objective. Try to keep away from the traditional method of drinking gallons of coffee. A cup or two is fine, but don't forget coffee has a high percentage of caffeine in it which, as a legal stimulant, is not to be recommended in high doses.

Listen to rock music: Even if guitar-based sounds are not necessarily your preferred musical taste, there is no doubt that blasting out the head-banging section of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" -- made even more iconic by its appearance in the cult movie Wayne's World -- throughout the night can only stimulate the brain and make it more receptive to concentrate on whatever it is you are staying up for. Another particular favorite is Motorhead's "Ace of Spades"..A tune with enough get up and go to keep even the drowsiest of minds alert and alive.

Get a dog: Perhaps a slightly extreme measure, but man's best friend craves plenty of exercise and a couple of brisk midnight walks with a four-legged companion and an optional stick in hand will get your blood flowing just right. Dogs are an ideal pet for the role...cats will look at your stick with utter disdain while anything more exotic (eg reptiles) is likely to frighten any other canine-walking insomniacs living close by.

Keep the lights on: As darkness descends it is advisable to switch on the main light in your room, with a couple of side lamps for added brightness thrown in for good measure. However, you should still keep the curtains firmly drawn during this procedure, otherwise your house will be shining like a beacon compared to the pitch-black homes of your neighbors.

Sleep during the day: Often the solution to your problem is the most obvious, although it is not easy to completely turn your body clock around without plenty of prior practice. A change in career to a job working at night will help you adjust to sleeping while the sun is out or alternatively you could just do the reverse of everything mentioned above. Therefore plenty of cups of creamy hot chocolate, a cd of Leonard Cohen's greatest hits, the turning off of all light switches and the fluffiest, cuddliest, laziest cat you can possibly find will all help the hardiest soul to drift off while others are getting ready to start their working day.