
“Some people are more sensitive to caffeine-and with its long half-life, it could impact that night of sleep,” says Siebern. It’s okay to sip your favorite coffee drink in the a.m., but limit the amount of coffee, tea, energy drinks, chocolate or coffee-flavored snacks you enjoy after lunch. “In fact, data show that even a brief, 20-minute nap can be enough to boost mental and physical performance and meet the need for sleep.” If you’re logistically able to hit the hay, be sure to limit it to twenty minutes, a length of time that should leave you feeling refreshed, not groggy. So if you can, give it what it wants!” says Grandner. “The human body was built to take a brief rest in the afternoon. Snoozing mid-day isn’t just for the pre-school set. If you can’t spare ten minutes, at least get up from your desk and move around to boost circulation. This way you get a lift ahead of when you feel you need one. “Or plan to workout right before this afternoon dip typically occurs,” suggests Siebern. If possible, do this outdoors so you reap the benefits of sunlight along with your stroll. When you’re feeling weary, exercising may be the last thing you feel like doing, but a brisk, 10-minute walk can get your blood and energy flowing. “This can give you an energy boost, especially if you’ve been cooped up all day.” Allowing your eyes to see the sunlight tells your brain it’s time to be awake and alert. “Getting just 15 to 20 minutes of solid daytime sun (even if it’s cloudy) can send a strong activating signal to the clock in your brain,” explains Grandner.


No matter how busy you are, taking a few minutes to head outside into the sunlight can make you more productive. To avoid potentially unhealthy habits, try these lid-lifting tips instead.

Unfortunately, a mid-day slump can leave you guzzling too much caffeine or reaching for sugary snacks to give you a pick me up. “The brain seems to read these drops in body temperature as a signal to conserve energy and prepare for rest and sleep.” “Most notably, your internal body temperature starts dipping,” explains Michael Grandner, PhD, MTR, a Fitbit sleep advisor and director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. In the early afternoon, your biological clock sends signals that are similar to (but not as strong as) those it transmits at bedtime. In other words, the longer you’re up, the wearier you become.Īnd that’s not all. Another reason you’re feeling fatigued? Your body builds up adenosine, a chemical that accumulates in your system to cause sleepiness, as the day progresses, says Siebern. Siebern, PhD, consulting assistant professor at Stanford University Sleep Medicine Center and director of the Sleep Health Integrative Program at the Fayetteville VA Medical Center in North Carolina. “ A sense of sleepiness can occur seven to nine hours after our wake up time due the brain’s drop in alertness ,” explains Fitbit sleep advisor Allison T.

