With college, many sleepless nights spent working away on assignments of varying complexity and concentrations often come–you know, that midterm exam or the eight-page research paper that’s due tomorrow.

When the night has gone and it is morning, those who awaken are oft tired and drained. One thought that may dwell in the minds of students is, “I need a pick me up.” To get through the day, many students may feel inclined to turn to stimulants that give them an instant boost of energy.

Monster Energy, 5-Hour Energy, Red Bull, Rockstar Energy–products like these are used for waking one’s self up. However, while the options are vast, so are the negative effects.

For one, many products like 5-Hour Energy drinks are not FDA-approved or regulated before being put on the market, which means the entities and ingredients within them aren’t necessarily the best for you, according to Brown University’s Health Education website.

I know, what can be the harm in just one shot of a 5-Hour Energy drink, one can of Red Bull, or taking one small little caffeine pill to help keep you awake?

Well, there can be more harm in all of that if you use such products on a regular basis.

Muzumil Qamar, sophomore hospitality management major, said she doesn’t use energy drink products but has seen plenty of people use them frequently.

“Yeah, they basically just chug the drinks down like every day, especially in my early morning classes,” Qamar said. “It’s crazy. I just can’t see how that can be good for you.”

She is quite right. Essentially, these products are being marketed as ways to help you to not feel as tired or sluggish, much like something that is beneficial. Red Bull’s slogan perpetuates this misconception even more by saying the drink “gives you wings.” They mostly do the exact opposite in the long run with their hazardous and detrimental effects to your health.

According to Brown University’s Health Education website, energy drinks like Monster, Red Bull, and 5-Hour Energy “contain large doses of caffeine and other legal stimulants such as guarana and ginseng” and their stimulant properties can “boost the heart rate and blood pressure (sometimes to the point of palpitations), dehydrate the body, and, like other stimulants, prevent sleep.”

With all that said, these drinks are only serving as a means of eventual destruction and decline to one’s wellbeing. Yes, they may help make you feel energized for the time being, but the long-term effects should not be ignored. Instead of trying to feel like a conqueror of all for the few short hours until you eventually crash, alternative, more natural ways should be used to garner energy.

Natural. This is a word I feel has become foreign to many. Instead of succumbing to what these companies are selling, try to do it the old-fashioned way: Go for a run, work out, or, better yet, just try to get some sleep.

In the long run, you’ll be thanking yourself for the good health you possess due to gaining natural energy opposed to the synthetic, temporary type.