Why Do We Feel the Afternoon Slump?

By Dylan Roche

Getting through the afternoon shouldn’t be a serious struggle. But if you’re like most adults, you probably feel at least a little bit lethargic between the hours of 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. It’s what most of us know as the “afternoon slump,” that drop of energy during a part of the day when we usually need it the most.

As it turns out, you might not be doing anything wrong. This feeling of tiredness is a normal part of your body’s circadian rhythm, the natural bodily cycle that makes you feel awake or tired during different times of the day. Just as your circadian rhythm makes you feel tired late at night, it also prompts you to feel sleepy or less alert during a period of time in the afternoon.

It’s helpful to take a look at your lifestyle, especially if you have input from your doctor or health care professional, to assess whether any of these things might be creating a particularly bad afternoon slump for you on a regular basis. Having low energy every afternoon can lead to lost productivity at work, poor relationships due to mood swings, and even unhealthy weight due to low-nutrient food cravings and lack of motivation to exercise.

If you feel yourself down on energy in the middle of the afternoon, you might be tempted to take a nap (assuming you have the flexibility in your schedule). Although While this mild slump is natural, many adults feel it much worse because of other factors. The usual culprits are:

Not getting enough sleep at night

Dealing with excess stress, which can deplete your energy

Poor diet, which might create instable blood sugar levels or be low in nutrients you need for good energy

Dehydration, which leads to fatigue and an inability to concentrate a short nap (around 10 minutes to a half-hour) could be helpful, sleeping for a longer amount of time will likely leave you more tired. Furthermore, the need for a longer nap likely indicates there is a larger problem.

Consider trying one of these methods to beat the afternoon slump and ensure you feel energized for whatever the late-day hours throw your way:

1. Get up and move around. You don’t have to do a full workout. Instead, a leisurely walk around your neighborhood or office complex could be enough to get your blood flowing and more oxygen to your brain. 2. Enjoy some natural light. Stepping outside into bright sunlight not only signals to your body that it’s daytime, thus making you naturally feel more awake, but also boosts your vitamin D levels, thus helping you fight fatigue. 3. Make lifestyle improvements. Even the healthiest of people get tired from time to time, but if midday fatigue is a chronic problem for you, it could be eliminated by eating more fruits and vegetables, increasing your physical activity, finding ways to de-stress, and (of course) getting more sleep at night. 4. If all else fails, don’t reach for caffeine, which could send your energy levels crashing later—plus mess with your sleep that night. Instead, if you need a simple pick-me-up in the afternoon, try chewing gum, which has been shown to improve focus and increase alertness.