how to avoid afternoon drowsiness?

[tennisenthusiast]

Any suggestions on how to avoid afternoon drowsiness or slump (postprandial somnolence). I want to be as active as I am during other periods of time.

Any foods that I need avoid, any foods that I need to take. I do not want to resort to caffeine.

Any pointers/suggestions?

 

[sphinx780]

You definitely do not want to resort to Caffeine. It will only exacerbate the issue you are trying to avoid...and yes I'm saying this while sipping my morning coffee.

There should be plenty of board members with good advice and nutrition tips to help you keep in tip top shape and avoid an extreme slump. What's your usual daily routine? Rest wise? Food wise? Activity wise?

 

[Rubens]

less sugar in your lunch. Easier said than done though.

 

[Soul]

As mentioned, eat less sugar. Avoiding wheat in particular helped get rid of the afternoon sleepiness.

Recall reading this:

"Wheat five times a day"

http://www.trackyourplaque.com/blog/2007/04/wheat-five-times-a-day.html

excerpt:

Terri was skeptical when I suggested that she attempt an “experiment”: Try a four week period of being entirely wheat-free. This meant more raw nuts and seeds, more lean proteins like low-fat yogurt and cottage cheese, chicken, fish, lean red meats, more vegetables and fruits.

After only two weeks, Terri dropped 5 1/2 lbs. She also reported that the mood swings she had suffered, afternoon sleepiness, and uncontrollable hunger pangs had all disappeared. The mental cloudiness that she had experienced chronically for years had lifted.

What happened was that the load of sugar from wheat products, followed by an insulin surge then a precipitous drop in sugar, and finally fogginess, irritability, and cravings for food all disappeared. With it, the entire panel of downstream phenomena (small LDL, CRP, etc.) all faded.

 

[tennisenthusiast]

I notice this slump even without eating. Why is that? Can someone please suggest some lunch items/foods that do not have sugar and wheat?

 

[r2473]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM73W_dAkl8

 

[FuriousYellow]

You definitely do not want to resort to Caffeine.

I second this. In fact, I support trying to give up caffeine altogether. I used to get really drowsy around 2:00pm every day, but since I gave up all caffeinated beverages six weeks ago I don't have as many of those afternoon dips.

One really great side effect from giving up caffeine is my 20 year dairy allergy went away. I used get really bad congestion and sinus headaches from even small amounts of dairy products. I never had dairy allergies as a kid. That happened as an adult which was around the time I started drinking coffee.

 

[Jeebs]

I notice this slump even without eating. Why is that? Can someone please suggest some lunch items/foods that do not have sugar and wheat?

I read something a while ago that said your body clock tries to steal a sleep between 3-5pm (and if you're a nocturnal character between 3am and 5am). Don't have a source for it though.

 

[r2473]

I'd suggest forming and sticking to daily lifestyle habits that support this aim. Getting to sleep at a reasonable time (10pm for example). Getting enough sleep (7-8 hours perhaps). Reasonable exercise habits and dietary habits to support this. Keeping your normal daily stress levels low (I find being organized to help immensely).

Or, take a 5-hour energy. Whichever you find easier. They probably both work about the same:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXHIeeLesKs

 

[Devilito]

don't fight it, take a siesta

 

[chollyred]

If you're talking about 2 hours after lunch, you may be having a drop in blood glucose. What is your typical lunchtime meal? If a lot of bread and starches (like hamburger buns and french fries), they are causing your glucose to spike. Then about two hours later when the insulin catches up, POW! your blood glucose drops and you feel sleepy.

Go for about a week with no bread or potatoes at lunch and see if the condition lessons.

I used to eat lots of junk food for lunch, then mid-afternoon, I'd be getting drowsy so I'd get a soda and a candy bar for a quick "pick-me-up". That was absolutely the worst thing I could possibly be doing. Then a couple of hours later while driving home, I'd be nearly falling asleep behind the wheel. When I finally mentioned this to my doctor, he put me on a low sugar/low carb diet. He basically said "Don't eat anything white."

Turned out that I also have sleep apnea so was never getting a good night's sleep either. I'm really lucky that I didn't kill myself or anyone else.

Try the diet thing first. If that doesn't help, seek medical attention. If you're eating a good diet, you should not be experiencing this.

 

[r2473]

He basically said "Don't eat anything white."

The banish "X" 100% from your diet approach? Do you think that is a viable, long-term approach / solution?

After taking the "radical approach" to things, it's amazing how many people come back to "boring moderation" and "common sense".

Tortise and the hare I guess.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

don't fight it, take a siesta

If you don't have time for a siesta, try a 15-20 min meditation. If that doesn't do the trick, go with a 5-Hour Energy or some other "no sugar" energy drink that contains only moderate caffeine.

 

[ollinger]

Probably has little if anything to do with glucose as most people report the lull around 4 PM, which is how "tea time" got started. More likely related to declining cortisol levels, part of the normal diurnal variation, in late afternoon. (Anyone who's ever been on prednisone and felt like running a marathon at 4 in the morning knows how energizing cortisol and its synthetic equivalent, prednisone, can be.

 

[Posture Guy]

good advice being given.

most people who slump in the afternoon are either having cortisol issues or blood sugar issues.

re diet, agreed, eliminate wheat, processed foods and sugars from your lunch and see what happens.

as an example, my typical lunch is a large salad that will usually have this kind of stuff in it, but varies:

spinach, mixed greens, broccoli, cucumbers, artichoke hearts, peppers, turkey breast with a dressing of olive oil and lemon. good clean fuel.

 

[tennisenthusiast]

Yesterday I had good breakfast (decent sized bowl of cereals) and I felt drowsy after breakfast. I reduced portion today and didn't notice any drowsiness. Is it quantity that is making the difference?

I heard that we should have good/heavy breakfast but why am I experiencing this drowsiness? Am I doing something wrong?

PS: I do not eat out nor do I eat junk food (including pizzas)

 

[chollyred]

Breakfast cereal is full of carbs and will cause your blood glucose to spike. A small amount may not be sufficient to cause the kind of crash that makes you fall asleep, but how many people eat the recommended size serving? Most actual serving sizes are about the size of your fist or less.

What kind of cereal were you eating? Look at the nutrition label and see how many carbs per serving, look at the serving size, then determine how many servings you were eating in that "decent" size bowl.

As a borderline Type II diabetic, I have to watch my carb intake. Some cereals I can tolerate in small amounts, but some (even supposedly healthy) will really cause my glucose to spike. I guess because of my sensativity, I'll get really jittery quickly after eating too much sugar (carbs) and know that I'll crash later.

Believe it or don't, Fruit Loops have fewer carbs than Corn Flakes (without sugar).

Try bacon and eggs for breakfast, or even a turkey sandwich on 100% whole wheat toast.

 

[Posture Guy]

try a breakfast without any grains whatsoever.

ANY prepackaged breakfast cereal from a mainstream manufacturer is junk food. I don't care what it is.

I'd try an experiment. If you get drowsy after you eat, try switching to a style of eating closer to the paleo diet, then see how your body responds.

 

[tennisenthusiast]

Breakfast cereal is full of carbs and will cause your blood glucose to spike. A small amount may not be sufficient to cause the kind of crash that makes you fall asleep, but how many people eat the recommended size serving? Most actual serving sizes are about the size of your fist or less.

What kind of cereal were you eating? Look at the nutrition label and see how many carbs per serving, look at the serving size, then determine how many servings you were eating in that "decent" size bowl.

As a borderline Type II diabetic, I have to watch my carb intake. Some cereals I can tolerate in small amounts, but some (even supposedly healthy) will really cause my glucose to spike. I guess because of my sensativity, I'll get really jittery quickly after eating too much sugar (carbs) and know that I'll crash later.

Believe it or don't, Fruit Loops have fewer carbs than Corn Flakes (without sugar).

Try bacon and eggs for breakfast, or even a turkey sandwich on 100% whole wheat toast.

WOW, I am surprised that serving should be that small. So, you meant to say that single serving of cereal is what I should be having for breakfast? but isn't breakfast suppose to be the most important meal of the day?

I am a vegan. What else can I have with toast? Fruit? I am worried about Orange Juice because it has so much sugar in it.

Even though my work is mostly sedentary I do not want to starve. How about oatmeal?

 

[Bartelby]

Isn't a post-prandial slump built into our bodies? Looking at it as a problem seems wrong when it's quite natural.

 

[Posture Guy]

it's all about managing insulin response. When I eat a healthful meal I'm energized, not fatigued.

tennisenthusiast......being a vegan is fine, if that's the way you choose to eat. I would get the empty carbs (like cereal and toast) out of your breakfast (and ideally out of your diet completely) and look at more protein-rich sources of food to eat at breakfast. Legumes, greens, veggies and some low glycemic fruit can help construct a good breakfast.

in my opinion, no one should ever drink straight orange juice. The glycemic load is pretty intense.

Want a surefire prescription for having a mid morning energy crash? Have a breakfast of flour in some fashion and wash it down with orange juice. That'll do the trick.

 

[chollyred]

it's all about managing insulin response. When I eat a healthful meal I'm energized, not fatigued.

tennisenthusiast......being a vegan is fine, if that's the way you choose to eat. I would get the empty carbs (like cereal and toast) out of your breakfast (and ideally out of your diet completely) and look at more protein-rich sources of food to eat at breakfast. Legumes, greens, veggies and some low glycemic fruit can help construct a good breakfast.

in my opinion, no one should ever drink straight orange juice. The glycemic load is pretty intense.

Want a surefire prescription for having a mid morning energy crash? Have a breakfast of flour in some fashion and wash it down with orange juice. That'll do the trick.

Oh yeah! Go by Denny's and have their Grand Slam breakfast (eggs, you can skip the bacon and sausage, hashbrowns, pancakes (covered in maple syrup), and wash it all down with a large glass of orange juice. You'll be comatose by 10:00 am.

 

[Posture Guy]

rotflmao!

very, very true.

or Ihop. The official restaurant of diabetics and insulin resistance.

 

[Kobble]

Could try some green tea. I find this seems to help a bit if I have a cup in the morning and another between 12:30 and 2:00. Then again, I may just be wired, today.

 

[crystal_clear]

Do you sleep 7-8 hours at night?

 

[Povl Carstensen]

But then again the "active" ingredient in green tea is caffeine...

 

[user92626]

If you're talking about 2 hours after lunch, you may be having a drop in blood glucose. What is your typical lunchtime meal? If a lot of bread and starches (like hamburger buns and french fries), they are causing your glucose to spike. Then about two hours later when the insulin catches up, POW! your blood glucose drops and you feel sleepy.

Go for about a week with no bread or potatoes at lunch and see if the condition lessons.

I used to eat lots of junk food for lunch, then mid-afternoon, I'd be getting drowsy so I'd get a soda and a candy bar for a quick "pick-me-up". That was absolutely the worst thing I could possibly be doing. Then a couple of hours later while driving home, I'd be nearly falling asleep behind the wheel. When I finally mentioned this to my doctor, he put me on a low sugar/low carb diet. He basically said "Don't eat anything white."

Turned out that I also have sleep apnea so was never getting a good night's sleep either. I'm really lucky that I didn't kill myself or anyone else.

Try the diet thing first. If that doesn't help, seek medical attention. If you're eating a good diet, you should not be experiencing this.

You just described all my symptoms!!!!

How do you guys take care of the sleep issue? These days I can't fall asleep before 1 am and then I toss and turn all night!!! I kinda hate my bedtime now.

 

[martini1]

I think other than blaming the diet it is your energy level. Most of us do not sleep well at night or simply sleeping not enough. Try to make up the lost hours by sleeping more in the weekend. And then increase exercise level to build up your HP bar again.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

But then again the "active" ingredient in green tea is caffeine...

The caffeine content of green tea is about 1/2 that of black tea and considerably less than coffee. The caffeine content of green tea can vary depending on brewing time and other factors but is typically around 25-30 mg per serving. The caffeine content of coffee is usually anywhere from 80 to more than 170 mg per serving. Some of the negative health effects of coffee may be incorrectly attributed to caffeine. It has been reported that coffee actually contains more than 1000 chemicals. Some of those are suspected carcinogens.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/r165687515131203

Other "active" ingredients in green tea include L-Theanine, and low to moderate levels of Theobromine and Theophylline. The latter 2 substances are mild stimulants, also found in chocolate & cocoa. Green tea is fairly high in L-Theanine, an amino acid. L-Theanine is known to have a calming effect that may partially offset the effects of caffeine. This combination of stimulants and L-Theanine is regarded to improve alertness and concentration.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

it's all about managing insulin response. When I eat a healthful meal I'm energized, not fatigued...

in my opinion, no one should ever drink straight orange juice. The glycemic load is pretty intense...

I did some research on OJ and found that its glycemic index (GI) is typically in the upper-low to moderate range at around 46-53 (based on glucose = 100). The glycemic load (GL) is also moderate at about 9 to 13 for a serving of OJ. However, if one drinks a 2nd and 3rd glass of OJ, the glycemic impact (GL) is quite a bit higher.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2081/2
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/glycemicindlist_3.htm


Despite this, your point is taken. A breakfast that is comprised primarily of carbs, particularly moderate and high glycemic carbs, can contribute significantly to a feeling of post-breakfast fatigue. It is advisable to include a moderate to generous amount of protein in one's breafast to avoid fatigue.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Yesterday I had good breakfast (decent sized bowl of cereals) and I felt drowsy after breakfast. I reduced portion today and didn't notice any drowsiness. Is it quantity that is making the difference?

I heard that we should have good/heavy breakfast but why am I experiencing this drowsiness? Am I doing something wrong?

Yes, quantity makes quite a bit of difference. While you want a decent sized breakfast, you do not want to overdo it with a heavy breakfast. If you eat a lot at a single meal, quite a bit of blood & energy is diverted to the stomach and intestines for the digestive process. This tends to make the brain and the rest of the body rather sluggish. Try eating more often but smaller portions for each meal or snack.

http://www.whyzz.com/why-do-we-get-sleepy-after-eating-a-big-meal
http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question96411.html

 

[tennisenthusiast]

Yes, quantity makes quite a bit of difference. While you want a decent sized breakfast, you do not want to overdo it with a heavy breakfast. If you eat a lot at a single meal, quite a bit of blood & energy is diverted to the stomach and intestines for the digestive process. This tends to make the brain and the rest of the body rather sluggish. Try eating more often but smaller portions for each meal or snack.

http://www.whyzz.com/why-do-we-get-sleepy-after-eating-a-big-meal
http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question96411.html

you are awesome. that makes sense.

but i am not understanding is why am I beginning to notice this after I crossed my 30 years.

I just have high expectations of myself and would like to be mentally alert at work at all times

 

[Ben Hadd]

This used to happen to me when I worked first shift. My sugar etc, everything is fine. Just I felt like a 2 hour nap was needed in the evenings. Go with the flow, take a nap, but dont sleep the night away from there, or you will ruin a schedule.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

The caffeine content of green tea is about 1/2 that of black tea and considerably less than coffee. The caffeine content of green tea can vary depending on brewing time and other factors but is typically around 25-30 mg per serving. The caffeine content of coffee is usually anywhere from 80 to more than 170 mg per serving. Some of the negative health effects of coffee may be incorrectly attributed to caffeine. It has been reported that coffee actually contains more than 1000 chemicals. Some of those are suspected carcinogens.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/r165687515131203

Other "active" ingredients in green tea include L-Theanine, and low to moderate levels of Theobromine and Theophylline. The latter 2 substances are mild stimulants, also found in chocolate & cocoa. Green tea is fairly high in L-Theanine, an amino acid. L-Theanine is known to have a calming effect that may partially offset the effects of caffeine. This combination of stimulants and L-Theanine is regarded to improve alertness and concentration.

I think that is all very true. But if caffeine is a problem for you its just good to know that you get it with tea (and choccolate) as well.
I believe many people live in a rollercoaster of eating sugar/wheat, getting fatigued (bloodsugar), and trying to repair it with coffee. And then you are just a fatigued person, strung up on caffeine... My own experience is that if I eat sensibly, its more "fun" to drink coffee, because I am not trying to beat a dead horse. But it (the coffee) is also less nescessary..

 

[Bartelby]

Lunch should be the main meal of the day and a dip is normal, but both are impossible as they conflict with work demands in some parts, but not the majority, of the world.

 

[tennisenthusiast]

Lunch should be the main meal of the day and a dip is normal, but both are impossible as they conflict with work demands in some parts, but not the majority, of the world.

work demand is one thing and peer pressure is another thing. when you compare yourself with a 60 yr old who is more active than you are mentally then red flag goes off. And, I am a 30 year old

 

[DownTheLine]

If you don't have time for a siesta, try a 15-20 min meditation. If that doesn't do the trick, go with a 5-Hour Energy or some other "no sugar" energy drink that contains only moderate caffeine.

I'd take a 20 minute nap.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

I'd take a 20 minute nap.

Edison, Einstein and da Vinci were all known for their habit of taking power naps. A power nap can often take on the same qualities as mediation.

http://www.spine-health.com/blog/ergonomics/how-power-nap-work

 

[Magnetite]

Don't eat so much at lunch.

 

[Posture Guy]

Edison, Einstein and da Vinci were all known for their habit of taking power naps. A power nap can often take on the same qualities as mediation.

http://www.spine-health.com/blog/ergonomics/how-power-nap-work

power naps can absolutely achieve similar results in many respects to meditation.

but I think you gotta be awake to have a successful mediation.

 

[r2473]

it's all about managing insulin response. When I eat a healthful meal I'm energized, not fatigued.

Want a surefire prescription for having a mid morning energy crash? Have a breakfast of flour in some fashion and wash it down with orange juice. That'll do the trick.

For breakfast I had two croissants with fig jam washed down with orange juice.

Lunch will be a chicken sandwich on a croissant (and you know I'm having plenty of bacon) and a half bag of Ruffles washed down with a soda.

Never feel tired until right around 10-11 pm. Should I be worried?

 

[Posture Guy]

seriously, that's what you've eaten or are eating?

man, if I ate that way I would be in a coma by 10:30am.

 

[r2473]

Almost sandwich time.

Don't worry, tonight is healthy BBQ ribs and chicken.

Our friends are competing in the "Sams Club" contest next week(?), followed by "The Jack" (Jack Daniels) contest the following week. Two of the biggest championship BBQ contests in world. You have to qualify for both throughout the year. I think about 50 people in each. Respectable prize money.

Actually the Sam's is this weekend. They qualified in the Vegas Region back in April.

http://www.kcbs.us/sams-club-series.php

Then comes "The Jack"

http://www.lynchburgtenn.com/jack_daniels_bar-b-q.html

They were tweaking some things so we "helped them" Tuesday night. Still have tons left over.

You have not had BBQ until one of these competition guys do it for you. Pretty amazing.

Next week our buddy is cooking a whole 200 lb. pig. Hog heaven.

 

[onehandbh]

After a nice 45-60 minute nap around 2pm, I feel refreshed, my afternoon
drowsiness gone.

 

[Angle Queen]

Sprinkled throughout this thread is some good advice. As a lifelong sufferer of "sleep" problems, I can only share a few things. Take a long look at your sleep and sleepiness (or lack thereof) patterns over the course of a week. Keep a sleep journal if you have to and maybe note some of the things folks here have said make a difference (food/caffeine intake, some/no/too much physical activity). And read some of the very good general websites/documents on sleep hygiene.

You may be having that afternoon drowsiness because, overall, you're not getting enough or the right kind of sleep. You didn't mention your age, but I'm guessing you're younger than me...and young people stay up late...but often have to get up early (for class or work). When you get older, you'll come to appreciate an earlier bedtime. My friends long ago quit calling me after 8pm (even before I had kids).

You can "train" yourself to sleep at the right times. It just takes awhile. And there's nothing wrong with a power nap (or snoozer) provided it's short, early in the afternoon and doesn't interfere with sleep that night. Also adjust your daily schedule (if you can) to leave mindless (but productive) activities for that "drowsy" time of the day. Don't try to read a dull, history text or expect to analyze piles of data at 2pm. Do some housework...then your homework. Or on the job, call back clients where you can converse rather than stare at a computer screen. Hope you get the idea. Figure out what you can do well with the energy levels you have.

And go to bed on-time tonight.

 

[Angle Queen]

Almost sandwich time.

Don't worry, tonight is healthy BBQ ribs and chicken.

Our friends are competing in the "Sams Club" contest next week(?), followed by "The Jack" (Jack Daniels) contest the following week. Two of the biggest championship BBQ contests in world. You have to qualify for both throughout the year. I think about 50 people in each. Respectable prize money.

Actually the Sam's is this weekend. They qualified in the Vegas Region back in April.

http://www.kcbs.us/sams-club-series.php

Then comes "The Jack"

http://www.lynchburgtenn.com/jack_daniels_bar-b-q.html

They were tweaking some things so we "helped them" Tuesday night. Still have tons left over.

You have not had BBQ until one of these competition guys do it for you. Pretty amazing.

Next week our buddy is cooking a whole 200 lb. pig. Hog heaven.

Not what I expected to find in this thread.

But I am officially and insanely....jealous.

 

[tennisenthusiast]

Thanks for all the inputs guys.

I have changed my eating portions and that is making quite a difference. For example, I used to eat a big bowl of cereals now I am eating small bowl for breakfast. For lunch, I used to eat rice or bread now I switched to salad or whole grain toast.

 

[tennisenthusiast]

WOW, I am very impressed with how active I am in the afternoons with a slight change in my diet. I am now only eating 4 toasted whole grain bread slices for lunch and I am working away!!

 

[Povl Carstensen]

What are you having with the toast..? Nothing?

 

[Alejandro Lanza]

I guess it may be a combination of things. I for one used to be always drowsy after lunch, then i went vegan 5 yrs ago and stopped feeling that way. Then 3 months ago i started to exercise. Prior to this my exercise consisted of walking to my car, sex, and nothing else. At some point shorlty after i increase physical activity i started to feel drowsy post-lunch again (very!), but as i've continued to exercise i've also taken a hard look at my diet and now i've left out most simple carbs (brown rice instead of white, whole grain bread instead of white, etc.), i've now included a lot more vegetables/fruits/grains, and i also try to eat smaller portions but more frequently. I'm also paying more attention to getting more protein (oats, soy, quinoa, etc.), and especially i pay more attention at what i eat pre/post workout/matches. I also mind sugar intake a lot more (the skittles had to go ) Post workout is the only time when i sometimes will eat refined flours. Initially i also made the mistake of eliminating all fats, but have now reincoporated them in the form of avocados, peanut butter, olives, pistachios/other nuts, tahini, flaxseed, coconut milk, etc.
I'll still sometimes feel sleepy if i'm sitting at home watching TV in the afternoon, but i think that's also related to me getting only ~5 hrs of sleep at night (need to fix that i guess). Finally, as i type this and look around my desk, everyone looks sleepy or has completely nodded off, i may be the only one fully awake, so i guess it's a 'normal' thing, don't feel too bad about it.

On the other hand, if your lunch consists of 4 toasted whole grain bread slices and nothing else, from one vegan to another i urge you to get a far more balanced diet, otherwise soon you'll be one of the 'i had to stop my vegan diet due to health issues' and probably start a blog about it that will get comments to the tune of 'i'm so happy for you, you're so brave and it's great you listened to your body' silly comments.