Why Am I So Tired At Work After Lunch? Take The 98.1 Quiz

QUESTION 1. Is your energy dip at work after lunch caused by what you ate?

DON'T BLAME YOUR LUNCHBOX

Even though it sort of makes sense to think that we are getting sleepy because we just ate lunch; it's actually not usually the reason.  If you notice; Even if you're eating well at lunchtime you still get tired?  So...typically you can't blame your lunch.

QUESTION 2. Are poor sleep habits causing you to crash in the afternoon?

BAD SLEEP HABITS CAN BE A PROBLEM

So what is considered a bad sleep habit?  If you're staying up all night long and trying to burn the candle at both ends; meaning, you're getting 3-4 hours of sleep? Sure. This definitely could  be the problem. But if you don't have sleeping problems everday but you're still tired every afternoon; this is probably not the cause either; especially if you're fairly healthy.

QUESTION 3. Do you think feeling sleepy in the afternoon is human nature?

IS IT BECAUSE YOU'RE HUMAN?

Yes.  The most likely and logical answer is: yes. You are tired. You've been up for hours; working and burning energy; and you have a reasonable right to be sleepy in the afternoon. Foggy; sleepy. Hard to focus.  This IS human nature. Unfortunately; it's works against our modern society. You're tired; your co workers are tired. No special nap time in the afternoon.

SOLUTIONS TO SLEEP TIME AT WORK

10 MINUTE POWER NAP

So what do you do? I find it VERY difficult to push through until later in the afternoon. 10 minute power naps are recommended. Find a car; a chair; eat your lunch for 10 minutes then take a nap for 10 minutes. It seems that the 10 minute recharging nap will do you much more good than going home, cuddling up in bed and snuggling in for a good 3-4 hour nap.  Not to mention it's going to be a recurrent problem since you probably won't be able to fall asleep at night when you really need to.

HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE

Yes...having a little bit of coffee in the afternoon can be just what you need to get you through that afternoon fuzz.

EXERCISE: GET MOVIN'

It might be hard to talk your body into moving, but it might be a great idea.  Try a mid-day stretch session or take a walk around the office.  Find a quiet spot and do some squats...get the blood flowing. You'll feel better and can get back to being efficient.

For more details on afternoon sleepiness, click HERE.