Do you want to shut your eyes after lunch? It’s okay, we all do. The post-lunch dip is just part of the human natural cycle.

What Is The Afternoon Dip?

People become sleepy between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The exact time of sleepiness depends on a person’s chronotype and sleep schedule.

Some connect it to lunch time, but research suggests sleepiness appears independently of eating. Even if you didn’t have lunch, you might still want to take a nap.

Image: the CDC

The body’s natural alertness, driven by circadian rhythms, temporarily decreases, while the sleep drive, which accumulates the longer a person is awake, reaches a point where it can overpower wakefulness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Everyone experiences the dip, but not to the same extent. You might be just a little sleepy, but your colleague might be yawning through the whole hour or even take a short nap at work. 

How To Fix It

Here are a few tips to help you manage the afternoon dip.

• Turn on the light

Several studies show that exposure to bright light might help you to stay alert. The most effective would be exposure to sunlight, but if you can’t go outside, turn on the light from above. Research shows that the direction of the light matters: side and lower lights are less effective.

• Move

Exercising might energize you and decrease daytime sleepiness as well as improve your nighttime sleep.

• Take a short nap

Giving up and taking a nap might be another solution. Set aside twenty minutes for a nap. Sleeping longer might worsen your performance and concentration.  

However, if you have insomnia or you are constantly sleep deprived, these tips might not be helpful. Talk to your healthcare provider to make sure you have healthy sleeping habits and no underlying mental health disorder. 

And if you are interested in helpful supplements, learn more about them before taking any.