Partying for a week straight is a conquest best left to the party professionals – and if you are attending Winter Music Conference, that would be you. While no one partakes in Winter Music Conference week for a good night’s sleep, a little shut eye is inevitable. Following our guide to refueling will help keep your energy up while minimizing your time down.

If you start feeling sick, sad or tired during the week, chances are the solution is very simple and you just need one of three things: food, water, or sleep. By keeping tabs on your energy level, you can ward off waves of lagging lethargy by making sure you keep your body stocked up on these three variables.

Eat.

Protein is the key to sustained energy during Winter Music Confernce or anywhere else. Sugar and fat-laden snacks will give you a quick burst of mojo, but to dance all night you need protein. If you have a high metabolism and tend to get hungry (and grouchy) fairly often, carry a few granola bars or some trail mix with you so that you don’t have to shell out cash or drag your friends to a restaurant every time you need food.

Dining out in Miami can run you $6-$50+ per meal, and if you let yourself become exceedingly hungry, you are more than likely to end up overpaying for a meal just to get something in your belly. Plan ahead with your meals and you will save money. Whatever you do, don’t head out for a night of heavy drinking on an empty stomach. After three or four drinks you will be on Cloud Nine; after a few more you will be on the floor under a table.

What you eat in Miami is often determined by the time of day:

• Breakfast: Hotel breakfasts can be great because there is nothing better than treating yourself to a big, greasy breakfast of eggs, toast, bacon, hash browns, coffee and orange juice after waking up with a head full of fuzz. However, you will probably be waking up around 4PM, so be sure to check your hotel’s breakfast hours before you count on a big breakfast.
• Lunch: If you want to go out for a nice meal, it is usually less expensive to do so for lunch rather than dinner. Hit up one of the many street vendors selling Cuban sandwiches – it might just be the best meal you eat while in Miami.
• Dinner: There are no shortage of excellent restaurants in Miami to choose from; ask locals for advice and have at least one nice meal while in Miami even if you eat PB&J the rest of the week.

Sleep.

While sleep is no doubt the last thing on your mind as you prepare for Winter Music Conference, the sad truth is that you will probably have to get a few winks in during the week. Do so smartly, and you can limit the time you spend recharging in favor of more moving endeavors.

• Timing is of the essence when refueling. If you stay up for three nights in a row before your favorite DJ is scheduled to play on Saturday night, chances are you will crash and miss the highlight of your week. This might mean going back to the hotel to sleep on Saturday morning so that you can make it out Saturday night; only you can judge whether you need rest and fuel, so pay attention to your body’s needs or you will suffer the consequences.
• Bring an eye mask and ear plugs. While a few of you may have a private hotel room or roommates who won’t make a peep when you decide to sleep, the other 99% of us will have to deal with less than ideal sleeping arrangements and must bring these items to shut out some of the light and sound. When ear plugs aren’t cutting it, headphones and an MP3 player can better block out the noise.
• All hail the power nap. Getting your Z’s in where they fit in may have your friends laugh at you as you nod off for thirty minutes in the back booth of a club or on the beach, but you’ll be the one smiling hours later when they head back to the hotel and sleep through the next party.

Drink…water.

No secret here, the number one cause of sickness and pain while partying is dehydration. Don’t wait until you get thirsty to drink water; rather have consistently throughout the day. To avoid paying for $5-$10 waters, bring your own water bottle and sip on it all day long.

• Along with your water you might want to take a multivitamin every day and especially a big dose of, such as the one provided by packets of Emergen-C. Certain “party favors” require vitamin C to work their magic and will thus deplete your body of its natural resources. You must fill those stocks of vitamin C back up, or you will be tired and sleepy – and your drugs won’t work as well. No vitamins? Try to drink orange juice as often as possible; this can be as easy as choosing a Screwdriver over a Jack and Coke.
• Other beverages can hydrate you, so consume the following whenever possible: juices, soft drinks, punch, smoothies, tea and coffee all contain water and will up your fluid intake.
• Alcoholic drinks have the opposite effect of these fluids and actually dehydrate you while you drink them; your body needs an extra glass of water just to offset the dehydrating qualities of the shot of tequila you just downed. You know the horrible headache you get when you’re really hungover? It’s your brain hitting your skull, because the cushy pad of fluid around it has been sucked dry.
• The more water you drink, the less hungover you will be. To minimize hangovers, before you crash for the night drink a giant glass of H20 and pop two Tylenol, but never Advil- unless you like it when your stomach bleeds. Click here for more tips on beating your hangover.
• Caffeine as we all know can provide the spark your brain needs to switch from zombie-mode to party mode. Many hotels will have a small coffee maker, and true addicts can travel with a French press to make pristine cups of caffeine wherever they go. Be wary of Vivarin because it is easy to take too much, and if you don’t like coffee, a chemical-rich Red Bull can do the trick as well.

Follow this refueling trio and who knows…you may even be able to keep up with me.