It’s happened to all of us. In fact, it might be 2:30 AM right now and you just Googled “How to survive an all-nighter” and found this article. You’ve made a good decision. Let us help.

Maybe you’re slammed with assignments, your part-time job, and life, and all of a sudden that term paper is due. Tomorrow morning. (Or you just procrastinated, that’s cool too.) Now it’s 8 PM! It wouldn’t be a true school year without the odd all-night paper writing session, whether you’re in high school, college, or university. In fact, about 60% of us are guilty of pulling an all-nighter at least once according to St. Lawrence University. But it’s best to keep them limited, as there are some harsh realities of all-nighters.

Here’s how to survive pulling an all-nighter:

1. Change Your Location

Home is a place filled with distractions—unwashed laundry, a fridge full of food, and more than likely a chatty roommate or mom. Oh, and Netflix, that devious vixen. It can be difficult to be productive in a space that you associate with sleeping, relaxing, and socializing. Head to the library or a 24hr coffee shop (if you’re able to safely) or at the very least, a different room in your house so that you can leave the distractions (and your bed) at home. Go now! And make sure it’s brightly lit. None of this mood lighting business.

2. Ditch the Coffee and Chocolate

While it may seem like second nature to pick up a coffee at 10 PM as you head into an all-night paper writing frenzy, you will ultimately crash. Caffeine and sugar will give you a great buzz if you’re planning to whip your paper off in an hour, but if you’re in for the long haul, best to keep it in moderation or skip it altogether. Halfway through your final review, you’ll probably get an overwhelming sense of “screw it, it’s good enough—I’m handing it in.”

3. Pack the Orange Slices

There’s a reason your mom always brought orange slices to soccer practice—these babies are a miracle worker in the energy department. Even just the smell of citrus can make youf feel more alert and will get you back in gear as you force our bodies to focus into the wee hours of the night. When you start feeling sluggish, whip out your orange slices for an instant pick-me-up.

4. Five Minutes of Fresh Air

Give yourself quick breaks every now and then; you’re not a robot. Follow the 25-5-30 rule or use the Pomodoro technique to schedule short breaks. Stepping outside into the cool night air will give you that much-needed refresher. Your brain uses 20% of your body’s oxygen so filling your lungs with fresh air will keep your mind sharp. Fresh air even has the ability to improve your concentration, help you think more clearly, and improve your mood.

5. Have Some Fun

You’re pulling an all-nighter. Enjoy it. Have a mini-dance party. Or have an office chair race. Always a good idea.

6. Make a Killer Playlist

Good tunes have a way of making the time pass and putting you in the zone. Keep it upbeat; this isn’t the time for Bon Iver. Make your playlist before you get started—fiddling with your music can eat up a surprising amount of time.

7. Divide Tasks

Using the first part of your night wisely is critical to success. It is important to make the most of those precious hours where you’re still capable of being creative. As the night goes on, you become less capable of computing information. Save the tasks you’ve done 100 times (like formatting and citations) for 4 AM, when you’re nothing more than a sleep-deprived zombie.

8. Nap, Then Edit

If your paper isn’t due first thing in the morning, take advantage of the window you’re earned yourself by staying up all night. Do your first edit the night before, then take a short nap. When you wake up, edit your paper one more time before handing it in. The end of a long night awake is the worst time to go through things with a fine-tooth comb and look for mistakes. Your brain isn’t fully functioning. Doing a final edit in the morning after a quick snooze will help catch the half-sentence that sleep-deprived you thought was awesome.

You Made it!

There, you made it. Now go treat yourself to a McDonald’s breakfast. You’ve earned it. Oh, and don’t fall asleep now and forget to hand in your awesome paper.

That would be just sad.