Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip
-
In the last year, I'm noticing an extreme dip in energy after lunch. It does not seem to matter how much sleep I get. Between 1 and 3 PM I am going to get super sleepy (whether weekend or weekday). I haven't changed anything in my diet surrounding lunch or breakfast that in my mind would have an effect on this. I am getting to the point where I'm almost mentally impaired for a little while unless I drink more coffee or get up and walk around for a while.
I don't remember this happening until I took a job with a much longer commute this past December. I'm thinking of going back to the Body for Life way of eating where you have 5 - 6 smaller meals throughout the day to see if that would help. I will willingly admit I don't exercise as much as I should.
Do any of you have this issue? What do you do to combat it? Am I just getting old?
-
I have started taking B12 mid day and then some green tea. That has done the trick for me.
-
@minion-queen said in Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip:
I have started taking B12 mid day and then some green tea. That has done the trick for me.
I've been taking some B12 in the mornings. Maybe I need to change when I take it.
-
@networknerd said in Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip:
@minion-queen said in Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip:
I have started taking B12 mid day and then some green tea. That has done the trick for me.
I've been taking some B12 in the mornings. Maybe I need to change when I take it.
I actually do both... I see to need lots of extra.
-
You might need a sleep study done. You might not be getting enough quality sleep. I have sleep Apnea I believe @scottalanmiller has it really bad like I do as well. My heart is enlarged because of it. The doctor told me that without my CPAP, if I sleep 8 hours, I am working the equivalent rest of someone with no sleep problems would feel like after maybe 2 hours of crappy sleep. If I wear my mask I will usually wake up right before my alarm feeling refreshed. Without it, I could sleep much longer, possibly with the fishes. So it isn't something to dismiss.
-
@penguinwrangler said in Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip:
You might need a sleep study done. You might not be getting enough quality sleep. I have sleep Apnea I believe @scottalanmiller has it really bad like I do as well. My heart is enlarged because of it. The doctor told me that without my CPAP, if I sleep 8 hours, I am working the equivalent rest of someone with no sleep problems would feel like after maybe 2 hours of crappy sleep. If I wear my mask I will usually wake up right before my alarm feeling refreshed. Without it, I could sleep much longer, possibly with the fishes. So it isn't something to dismiss.
So before you had this done, you weren't waking up multiple times per night or anything like that and felt like you were fully asleep the entire time?
-
Do you have lunch in the office at your desk?
I've found just popping down to get a drink or snack from the shops meaning I've got out and stretched my legs sometimes has helped.
But also what's been mentioned about sleep is also a factor, as I know for me mines all over the place since myself and the wife have been ill.
-
B12 after a meal is probably good. Or after a mid-morning snack.
Water and walking will usually help me as well.
-
@hobbit666 said in Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip:
Do you have lunch in the office at your desk?
I've found just popping down to get a drink or snack from the shops meaning I've got out and stretched my legs sometimes has helped.
I make sure to not eat lunch at my desk. We have a break room here in the office that I'll take my lunch into and eat. But it's not a long walk at all.
-
@dafyre said in Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip:
B12 after a meal is probably good. Or after a mid-morning snack.
Water and walking will usually help me as well.
I drink water like a fish all day long but could definitely use more movement. I'm on one of the higher floors of a building and have been going either up or down a flight for restroom breaks during the day.
-
If you are healthy otherwise and don't have sleep apnea then its just lack of exercise. Walking doesn't cut it. Do some squats or pushups for 10 min and you will be fully energized and muscles primed for some heavy-duty powershell scripting lol.
In most cases if your eating right and healthy its being too sedentary in the day. The longer commute could certainly be the difference and it happens as we get older regardless so do more light exercise to combat it.
-
@jmoore said in Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip:
If you are healthy otherwise and don't have sleep apnea then its just lack of exercise. Walking doesn't cut it. Do some squats or pushups for 10 min and you will be fully energized and muscles primed for some heavy-duty powershell scripting lol.
In most cases if your eating right and healthy its being too sedentary in the day. The longer commute could certainly be the difference and it happens as we get older regardless so do more light exercise to combat it.
I could always use more Powershell in my life. Thanks! Are you recommending just do this at some point in the day (i.e. morning before work) or specifically when I have the energy dips?
-
@networknerd said in Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip:
@penguinwrangler said in Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip:
You might need a sleep study done. You might not be getting enough quality sleep. I have sleep Apnea I believe @scottalanmiller has it really bad like I do as well. My heart is enlarged because of it. The doctor told me that without my CPAP, if I sleep 8 hours, I am working the equivalent rest of someone with no sleep problems would feel like after maybe 2 hours of crappy sleep. If I wear my mask I will usually wake up right before my alarm feeling refreshed. Without it, I could sleep much longer, possibly with the fishes. So it isn't something to dismiss.
So before you had this done, you weren't waking up multiple times per night or anything like that and felt like you were fully asleep the entire time?
I would "wake up" during the middle of the night when I was unable to breathe but it isn't like waking up in the morning. You "wake up" enough to roll over so you can breathe, it isn't a full conscience awakening, most of the time. Your body does want to stay asleep to get rest. I had my tonsils, adenoids, and uvula removed and it is better but I still have sleep apnea. I went and got tested in my 20s. With sleep apnea, you stop breathing and it can cause sudden cardiac arrest which is what my Grandfather died from. One night it was so bad that I lost control of my bladder and I did awake gasping for air and fell out of bed. It seriously felt like someone was choking me. That is what prompted me to go see the doctor. Until that moment I really didn't think I had it that bad or even had it at all. I wish I would have known earlier. I feel so much better now as far as sleep goes. I could have used that CPAP when I was in college.
-
@networknerd said in Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip:
@dafyre said in Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip:
B12 after a meal is probably good. Or after a mid-morning snack.
Water and walking will usually help me as well.
I drink water like a fish all day long but could definitely use more movement. I'm on one of the higher floors of a building and have been going either up or down a flight for restroom breaks during the day.
If I take my B with some breakfast in the morning around 8am, I usually feel it kick in in the afternoons aroudn 2pm or so.
-
@networknerd What works for me is doing it at the beginning of lunch, right before I eat. Thats right at middle of my day too. I have got to where i rotate my exercises now but that is up to you. You can just do 1 for a while if you want. I just want to be balanced in what I do. So i do squats one day then day while holding dell optiplex to chest, pushups next day, then next day is modified deadlift where I use a dell optiplex as weight. I try not to break a full sweat of course but that little activity at beginning of lunch every day does it for me. I no longer have those afternoon dips in energy. I'm still a little overweight because I eat too much but dang i can work all day lifting and carrying stuff if I need to because of my exercise.
-
@penguinwrangler said in Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip:
You might need a sleep study done. You might not be getting enough quality sleep. I have sleep Apnea I believe @scottalanmiller has it really bad like I do as well. My heart is enlarged because of it. The doctor told me that without my CPAP, if I sleep 8 hours, I am working the equivalent rest of someone with no sleep problems would feel like after maybe 2 hours of crappy sleep. If I wear my mask I will usually wake up right before my alarm feeling refreshed. Without it, I could sleep much longer, possibly with the fishes. So it isn't something to dismiss.
Yup, mine is life threatening.
-
Only cure that I have found is skipping lunch entirely.
-
In addition to the sleep study, see if someone will let you test your blood sugar when you start feeling tired sometime. That's one of the major signs of the onset of diabetes, and is an easy self-check if you have access to a meter.
-
@travisdh1 said in Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip:
In addition to the sleep study, see if someone will let you test your blood sugar when you start feeling tired sometime. That's one of the major signs of the onset of diabetes, and is an easy self-check if you have access to a meter.
Opposite, though. With diabetes you normally get the dip without food, not from avoidinig it.
-
@scottalanmiller said in Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip:
@travisdh1 said in Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip:
In addition to the sleep study, see if someone will let you test your blood sugar when you start feeling tired sometime. That's one of the major signs of the onset of diabetes, and is an easy self-check if you have access to a meter.
Opposite, though. With diabetes you normally get the dip without food, not from avoidinig it.
Really? I always get tired when mine goes higher than it should... apparently I'm a little odd.
-
You might also look at your work schedule. I've recently become aware of the fact that the tasks that seem to come up during the morning are the ones that are outside of my "sweet spot" from a personality perspective. When those occupy my morning and spend zero time doing things that give me life I end up wiped by lunch regardless of diet or exercise.
-
@scottalanmiller said in Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip:
@travisdh1 said in Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip:
In addition to the sleep study, see if someone will let you test your blood sugar when you start feeling tired sometime. That's one of the major signs of the onset of diabetes, and is an easy self-check if you have access to a meter.
Opposite, though. With diabetes you normally get the dip without food, not from avoidinig it.
Prison Story:
I was the evening supervisor (sergeant) of the Ad-Seg house (commonly called "The Hole") had an offender declared a medical emergency because of low sugar. We got the nurse to him (very quickly as she was already doing rounds in the unit) and she checked him. His blood sugar was at 20. Wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes.Normal blood glucose numbers
Fasting
Normal for person without diabetes: 70–99 mg/dl (3.9–5.5 mmol/L)
Official ADA recommendation for someone with diabetes: 80–130 mg/dl (4.4–7.2 mmol/L)2 hours after meals
Normal for person without diabetes: Less than 140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/L)
Official ADA recommendation for someone with diabetes: Less than 180 mg/dl (10.0 mmol/L)
-
@kelly said in Fighting the Afternoon Energy Dip:
You might also look at your work schedule. I've recently become aware of the fact that the tasks that seem to come up during the morning are the ones that are outside of my "sweet spot" from a personality perspective. When those occupy my morning and spend zero time doing things that give me life I end up wiped by lunch regardless of diet or exercise.
That's a good point. When you're really excited about doing something or find it very engaging, it normally does not matter how tired you might be. I say normally here because there are truly times where you are just too wiped out to even do what you enjoy.
