After Lunch Drowsiness-what Can You Do About It?

If you are like me, around 2 or 3pm each day that after lunch drowsiness begins to set in. In Spain they recognize that a meal can take up to 4 hours to digest. They have an afternoon nap time called a siesta. However, most of us in the West don't have that luxury. This is why it is important to pay attention to what we eat during lunch as well as several other factors that contribute to that after lunch drowsiness. So what is the best way to beat that urge to take a nap after lunch.

Well, if at all possible, go ahead and take a nap. Anywhere from 15min-45 minutes can do wonders to restore your energy levels and make you feel refreshed. If this is not possible definitely do not reach for the coffee. The caffeine crash afterward can be worse than your initial drowsiness.

Instead, get up and move around the office. If you need to use the bathroom or talk to a colleague across the room or in another part of the building, now could be the time. After eating you can get some light exercise or basic stretching. Simply taking a walk for a few blocks or using the stairs instead of the elevator can really help. Activity makes it easier to resist drowsiness. You won't find too many people falling asleep while playing racquetball. The key is to get moving.

Making sure you are gong to bed at the same time and getting up at the same time has a lot to do with this drowsiness as well. Getting up even a half hour earlier than normal can increase drowsiness later in the day.

Your energy for the day also has a lot to do with what you eat for breakfast and lunch.Never skip breakfast as it sets the tone for your day energetically. A recent study showed that eating breakfast cereals regularly can reduce the stress hormone cortisol. By selecting healthy foods like cereals, fruits, and yogurt, you give your body enough energy for your morning. You will be less likely to reach for unhealthy foods during lunch. Take some healthy snacks to work like, fruit, salad, nuts sprouts, celery or carrot sticks to keep at your desk.

At lunch time, avoid fast food. Most fast food is packed with fats, sugars, salts, preservatives, and flavor enhancers. It taste good at the time but you have just ingested a lot of calories that lack nutrients. This is very unhealthy for your body. In addition, avoid sugar, flour and salt. These have no nutritional value. They will put you in an energy slump. You find them in pastries, pastas, potatoes, white rice and baked goods and they are guaranteed to bring on drowsiness.

You do want to eat low carbohydrate high protein foods at lunch-time. These include beans, vegetables and fish. Large meals take more effort to digest and cause the oxygen and nutrient rich blood to to be diverted away from your brain to help digest your meal.

Unless it is a special occasion and you have the rest of the afternoon off, skip the wine or beer with lunch. Alcohol is a sedative and even if you only have a half of a glass you will be fatigued and drowsy the rest of the day.

Your work space can also have an affect on your drowsiness. If you work in a little cubicle this can add to feelings of drowsiness. Being in a confined atmosphere makes it easy for you to feel sleepy after lunch. Brighten your space up with family pictures, flowers or anything that provides an emotional pick-me-up. Adjust your chair for optimum comfort. If you have the cool white fluorescent tubes lighting your space a better option is full spectrum fluorescent bulbs. These simulate the wavelength of sunlight and if you can get them, you should.

Feeling awake and alert after lunch is important and following these tips should help you do that. Continue to learn more about how to stop after lunch drowsiness. It is a lifestyle. By making simple changes you can live your best life.