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When 2:00 in the afternoon rolls around, I often find myself struggling to stay alert at my desk, as a surge of sleepiness makes its way through my body. The urge to grab sugar, tea, or anything that will give me a boost comes on strong. Sometimes I give in and other times I power through.
Sound familiar?
This experience is considered a midday slump, a noticeable drop in energy and productivity during the afternoon hours.
“It’s actually well recognized and has been noted as a physiologic dip in circadian alertness as we progress during the day, usually occurring in the early afternoon,” says Philip Alapat, MD, associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine.
Why Do Midday Slumps Happen?
While there is not one single clear reason why a midday slump occurs, Alapat says it has to do with the body’s internal clock or circadian rhythm, which is a 24-hour cycle that regulates bodily functions, including sleep-wake patterns, hormone release, and body temperature.
Alapat says most studies that try to measure people’s level of alertness during the day recognize that level of alertness is increased during the morning hours, and then decreases a little bit in the early afternoon hours. Interestingly, alertness is at its highest level in the early evening hours.
“That’s why in previously established European models, the norm was to take a little break in the early afternoon period where you may retire for a brief slumber and then get back up and resume work into the evening,” he says.
How to Fight Through a Midday Slump
If you’re tied to a conventional daytime work schedule like 84% of American workers, fighting through the midday slump might seem hard. However, the following tips can help you push through.
Recognize Your Sleepiness
If you find yourself too sleepy in the afternoon, look at what is going on in the nighttime.
“Each of us knows what can worsen our sleepiness and if you try to be cognizant of that and try to get around it, you can manage your mid-afternoon slump better,” says Alapat.
“If you are not doing that then the slump is going to be worse for you,” he says.
Move Around
Get up and go for a walk or even a run when sleepiness strikes.
“If we are physically active and/or doing something that is engaging, we are usually able to fight off any sleepiness that may exist,” says Alapat.
Moving around boosts circulation, increases oxygen levels, and can release adrenaline which increase alertness. For example, Alapat says construction workers or others who are conducting physical labor don’t usually reflect significant sleepiness during the day.
“But those of us who are stuck in a work environment staring at a television screen or computer screen or doing data analysis or accounting work, tend to feel a lot more sleepy in these early afternoon periods,” he says.
Kelley Kitley, licensed clinical social worker, suggests setting a timer for around 2pm to walk the stairs or halls at work. If you’re at home, take a walk outside. If you’re not able to leave your work area, stand up and stretch for a few minutes.
Avoid Large Meals for Lunch
Heavy meals loaded with carbohydrates tend to put your body in a state of metabolism which requires it to send more energy to break down the food rather than maintain alertness.
“If you’re stuck in a board meeting where you’ll be in a dark room staring at a screen in the early afternoon period after eating a large lunch, you’re probably going to be more sleepy than if you had not done any of those things,” says Alapat.
Barbara M. Rocha, N.D., a certified traditional naturopath, eats a light lunch or smaller snacks throughout the day.
“As our digestive system is working, it pulls oxygen from our brains to digest the foods. If it doesn’t have to work as hard you won’t be sleepy,” she says.
Drink Some Caffeine or Water
Caffeine is a wake-promoting agent that works as an adenosine antagonist in the brain to try to
improve your level of alertness when you’re feeling sleepy.
While a coffee or tea in the afternoon can give the jolt you need, Alapat says timing of when you consume it is important.
“If you are taking caffeine in the early afternoon, it should not be physiologically active late in the evening at 9 or 10 pm when you are getting ready for bed,” he says. “For most of us, the caffeine has metabolized out probably within about 6 hours or so.”
However, he warns against taking caffeine tablets sold as a supplement. “I don’t encourage the use of caffeine tablets because they can make you jittery, anxious, and exacerbate underlying medical conditions,” he says.
If caffeine isn’t your thing, drinking a glass of water might do the trick since water moves nutrients
and oxygen throughout the body and keeps you hydrated, which can help keep your blood pressure and heartrate regular.
For something more flavorful, Kitley suggests going for your favorite smoothie, green drink, or bubbly water.
“It’s a nice ritual and refreshing to have something to hold on to. Bubbly offers many different exciting flavors. Smoothies and green drinks are full of nutrients and will give you energy,” she says.
Take Vitamin C
Rocha takes 1,000mg of vitamin C in the morning and then another 1,000mg in the afternoon to help
with afternoon sleepiness.
“I find the powder absorbs faster as it takes time for the capsule or tablet to digest,” she says. “If you have too much, your body will just expel it out in your urine. The body doesn’t store it.”
A study from 2020, found that vitamin C can help combat tiredness due to its antioxidant properties which reduce oxidative stress, a major contributor to fatigue, and by aiding in the synthesis of carnitine, a compound that helps convert fat into energy.
However, Rocha says, there are not one-size-fits-all protocols for everyone. “There are many things to consider. For example, while it’s rare, vitamin c may not work for some people, but it is a good place to start.”
Shift Your Energy
To get your mind off feeling sleepy, Kitley, says to avoid telling yourself how tired you are.
“It will make it worse,” she says. Instead, focus on recognizing how much progress you’ve made in the day.
“Tell yourself how proud you are of you,” Kitley says. For further distraction, call or text a friend for a few minutes, or read an article or funny social media post.
“It will help shift your energy,” she says.
Take a Power Nap
If your situation allows for it, consider taking a short nap at home to rejuvenate and improve your productivity for the rest of the day. However, the length of the nap and time when you take it matter.
You want to wake up when you are in the early and lighter stages of sleep to avoid feeling sluggish, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“For most people, a short rejuvenative nap is usually in the realm of 20 to 30 minutes. If it starts to get longer than that, trying to get up from that nap is usually much more of an exercise,” says Alapat.
The nap should also be several hours before you go to sleep for the night. “The closer you are to your primary sleep period, the more likely that nap will affect your ability to fall asleep that night,” Alapat says.
Kelly Janowiak regularly takes 15-20 minute naps between 2:30 and 3:30 in the afternoon when her realtor job allows for it.
“I can get to the point where I almost feel like I could sleep standing up,” she says. “If I have the time, I’ll give in and take a quick nap before my sons come home from school. Then when I wake up, I feel totally awake.”
When Is Sleepiness a Concern?
If you have an underlying medical condition that contributes to daytime sleepiness, such as obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or medical disorders that require you to take medications that have sleepiness as a side effect, Alapat says you will be more prone to sleepiness in the early afternoon.
“This is because the circadian dip in alertness in the early afternoon is going to affect you just like if a person doesn’t have an underlying medical problem. Then add in circadian alternations in your alertness on top of your already sleepiness, and you have an even greater level of sleepiness,” says Alapat.
If you have excessive daytime sleepiness, contact your doctor to help determine if there is an underlying issue.
Final Thoughts
We all go through a midday slump once in a while. Whether you’re at work, taking care of your kids, or just plain hanging around, you’re bound to hit a wall. That doesn’t mean your day has to stop there. Following the quick tips above and putting together a plan to boost your overall sleep hygiene will help you get through your slump, and help prevent the next one from happening in the first place.
