5 WAYS TO BEAT AFTERNOON SLEEPINESS

5 WAYS TO BEAT AFTERNOON SLEEPINESS

Sleeping during the day may seem like a good idea to increase the time of sleep. But quality sleep is not measured by adding pits of sleep hours. Quality sleep means sleeping for at least 7 hours for adults and 10 for kids. Breaking this time to pits means that you do not achieve the 4 stages of sleep. That’s why when you finally wake up, you feel disoriented. This article will explain why you should avoid daytime naps and ways you can beat daytime sleepiness.

Ways to Beat Afternoon Sleepiness

Stay Busy

Staying busy can help in beating sleepiness. This can mean leaving the desk and taking a walk. Exercising during a lunch break can bump up the heart rate and boost levels of chemicals associated with alertness. If you don’t have enough time to do many exercises, walk for at least 10 minutes; this will be enough to freshen up and increase alertness. You can also do light tasks if you are not busy. This will eliminate idleness.

Have a Light Lunch

If you constantly get sleepy in the afternoon, eating a heavy meal will make it worse, especially sugary snacks and carbohydrates. Sugary snacks and carbohydrates make the body’s sugar rise and drop, making you feel tired. Instead, consider light meals like vegetables, whole grains, boiled eggs, and berries. This will give you energy and boost levels of norepinephrine and dopamine, which tend to increase alertness. When you are constantly getting sleepy, you only want to feel satisfied and not stuffed.

Caffeine

Taking coffee can help restore alertness. Caffeine is a stimulant; it increases brain activities such as thinking and mental performance. The downside of taking coffee at this time of the day, especially from 1 PM, is that it can interfere with the sleep routine. Caffeine takes longer to wear down from the system. Equally, you can take tea or chocolate bars because they have a mild stimulant effect than coffee.

Stay Hydrated

Drinking enough water can improve focus and alertness. You need water for proper body functioning. When you are dehydrated, the body feels less energetic, and difficult to concentrate. It is recommended to take at least 13 cups for men and 9 for women of water every day. Avoid sugary or caffeinated water; this can make you sick; instead, use lemon, mint, or berries in your water.

Don’t Skip Breakfast

Skipping breakfast means that you will have to eat more at lunch to compensate. Breakfast gives you the energy to start your day. A healthy breakfast includes whole grains and proteins. Breakfast should consist of a simple meal like eating steel-cut oats with fresh berries, yogurt topped with granola, and banana or eggs for a protein source.

How to Take the Best Naps

Napping can be beneficial because it helps you relax, reduce fatigue, increase alertness, and improve mood and performance. You can take a nap when you feel fatigued or suddenly sleepy, which might result from a long work shift. The best way to take a nap is to keep them short; at least 20 minutes longer than that will make you groggy. Taking naps after 3 pm will interfere with the sleep routine; the best time to nap is early in the afternoon. You can create a restful nap area that is quiet and dark with a comfortable room temperature. After waking up, give yourself some time to wake up fully; you can resume work. More study on taking naps as an important technique for improved sleep was conducted by Leng, et al. (2018).

The Downside of Napping

The sleep drive or homeostatic sleep pressure is why you wake up feeling energized, and gradually that energy drains as the day progresses. Sleep comprises 4 stages, 3 NREM stages, and a REM stage. In the non-rapid eye movement or NREM’s N1, the body relaxes. Brain activities are also reduced, but you can be woken up. In N3, you are deep asleep with minimal brain activities, reduced heartbeat rate, and breathing. Waking at this stage may lead to grogginess. In the final stage of sleep, REM, the heartbeat will increase, and breathing will also increase. Your eyes will also be moving. Your morning nap will mainly be NREM, and napping in the late afternoon, your nap will mainly be deep sleep because of the increase in sleep drive. Napping in the late afternoon is discouraged because it will interfere with your ability to fall asleep. Deep sleep reduces sleep drive.

How to Achieve Quality Sleep

You can train yourself to achieve quality sleep regularly by having a sleep routine that dictates when to go to bed and wake up every day. The brain will secrete melatoninhighly within these hours. It would be best to make your bedroom sleep-friendly by reducing lights and screens like TVs, phones, laptops, and tablets. Light from these screens can affect the production and secretion of melatonin. Your bed should also be comfortable.

You should avoid going to bed on an empty or full stomach because this will make you uncomfortable to relax and induce sleep. Caffeine and nicotine should not be taken after 1 PM because they don’t wear off easily and interfere with your sleep schedule. Lastly, you can use sleep supplements and drugs like sleeping pills and supplements like melatonin, and CBD for sleep. More study about having an ample sleeping environment for uninterrupted sleep was done by Caddick et al. (92018).

Conclusion

Your daytime nap might be interfering with your sleep if you are doing it in the late afternoon by reducing your sleep drive. You can beat your day sleepiness by trying out these hacks like staying hydrated, being busy, having a light lunch, or using caffeine. If you must take a nap, then do it early in the afternoon, in a dark, comfortable room but not for more than 20 minutes. You can easily achieve quality by having a sleep routine, making your bedroom more sleep-friendly. Finally, you can achieve better sleep by using sleeping pills and supplements; before using these sleep aids, consult your doctor first.

References

Caddick, Z. A., Gregory, K., Arsintescu, L., & Flynn-Evans, E. E. (2018). A Review Of The Environmental Parameters Necessary For An Optimal Sleep Environment. Building And Environment, 132, 11-20.

Leng, Y., Stone, K., Ancoli-Israel, S., Covinsky, K., & Yaffe, K. (2018). Who Takes Naps? Self-Reported And Objectively Measured Napping In Very Old Women. The Journals Of Gerontology: Series A, 73(3), 374-379.

Elena Ognivtseva
Latest posts by Elena Ognivtseva (see all)

Nutritionist, Cornell University, MS

I believe that nutrition science is a wonderful helper both for the preventive improvement of health and adjunctive therapy in treatment. My goal is to help people improve their health and well-being without torturing themselves with unnecessary dietary restrictions. I am a supporter of a healthy lifestyle – I play sports, cycle, and swim in the lake all year round. With my work, I have been featured in Vice, Country Living, Harrods magazine, Daily Telegraph, Grazia, Women's Health, and other media outlets.

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