We’ve all had those afternoons. The 3pm slump hits, your eyelids start staging a quiet rebellion, and the meeting you’re in begins to feel like a particularly tedious dream. Daytime sleepiness is the great productivity killer, the concentration crusher, the reason you find yourself reading the same email three times in a row.
The usual response is to reach for an energy drink or yet another cup of coffee, but loading up on caffeine in the afternoon tends to sabotage that night’s sleep, which sets you up for an even sleepier tomorrow. It’s a loop worth breaking. Here, then, are 7 IDEAL ways to stop daytime sleepiness, no stimulants required.
Implement An Effective Bedtime Routine
Let’s put it plainly; the best way to prevent daytime sleepiness is by catching enough zzz’s the evening before. During the day, a whole host of inputs are out there ready to get your mind going, and although they may not prevent sleepiness in daylight hours, they’re more than enough to stimulate your brain and keep it from switching into sleep mode come bedtime.
An effective wind-down routine can train your mind and body to power down when it gets to bedtime. Try to avoid caffeine and other stimulants in the evening, and dim the lights to create a mellow atmosphere. Listening to music, practising meditation, or having a soak in the tub are all worthy additions to the pre-sleep ritual.
Read: 5 IDEAL steps to the perfect bedtime routine
Get Some Morning Daylight
If there’s one habit sleep scientists agree on, it’s this; get outside in the morning. Even ten or fifteen minutes of natural light within an hour of waking helps anchor your circadian rhythm, telling your body that the day has begun and, by extension, when night should fall. The NHS recommends natural daylight as a key part of regulating sleep patterns, and it’s particularly useful during the grey British winter, when many of us go from bedroom to office without seeing the sun at all.
You don’t need to do anything fancy with it. A short walk, breakfast by a window, or simply pottering in the garden with a cup of tea will do the job. The brighter the better, but even an overcast morning delivers more lux than indoor lighting.
Knock Naps On The Head
Hey, we all love a nap, and sometimes one is genuinely necessary. But everything in moderation, as they say, and this certainly applies to catching a few minutes of sleep in the middle of the day. A longer siesta on the sofa can have detrimental effects on your night’s sleep, make no mistake.
It’s really all about length. According to the Sleep Foundation, a nap of between ten to twenty minutes shouldn’t pose any problems, but anything longer can cause issues with your sleep cycle. This is particularly true for naps taken after 2pm, which may affect your ability to fall asleep at a reasonable time later that night.
If you are going to nap, follow the experts’ advice; keep it short and do it early.
Create The Perfect Sleep Environment
If you struggle to get down for the night, you can increase your chances of restful sleep by creating the right environment for it. The optimum temperature for a bedroom is around 16 to 18 degrees. Feeling too warm will make you restless, and a cold room can make it difficult to drop off.
Your mattress can have a huge impact on your sleep, too. Given the average person spends a third of their life in bed, it’s reason enough to invest in something that genuinely supports your sleeping style, whether you’re a stomach or side sleeper, an early riser or a night owl.
If you tend to overheat at night, a latex or memory foam mattress offers good breathability, whereas those with lower back pain often find better support from a sprung mattress. Mattresses combining foam and spring technology are a worthwhile middle ground, balancing the contouring pressure relief of foam with the airflow and bounce of pocket springs.
Finally, your bedroom should be reserved for rest, so aim for calm and quiet. When you’re in bed, try to avoid using your phone or watching your favourite series; remove the temptation entirely by keeping devices out of arm’s reach.
Read: How to create the IDEAL bedroom environment in 5 simple steps
Mind What, & When, You Eat
Food has more to do with daytime energy than most of us give it credit for. A heavy lunch packed with refined carbs and sugar will cause a blood sugar spike followed by the dreaded crash, and that crash arrives, conveniently, somewhere around mid-afternoon. Swapping out the white bread sandwich for something with protein, fibre and slower-releasing carbs can keep your energy steadier through the day.
Evening eating matters just as much. Going to bed too full, or eating very late, can disrupt your sleep, while dehydration through the day will leave you sluggish whatever you do. The British Nutrition Foundation recommends keeping hydrated steadily rather than glugging a litre of water before bed and waking up at 3am needing the loo. Sensible, that.
Invest In An Ergonomic Pillow
Snoring and sleep apnoea can have a huge impact on the amount of restful sleep you get at night, and how sleepy you feel during the day. Investing in an ergonomic pillow designed to combat snoring can make a real difference to your sleep pattern. There are several excellent anti-snore pillows on the market, some of which have been given the thumbs up from the British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association.
Exercise Regularly
Daily exercise gives you an energy boost during the day and makes you feel naturally sleepy in the evening. The NHS states that even a short 15-minute walk can make a huge difference. Carrying excess weight can also be exhausting in itself, putting strain on the heart and leaving you flagging at times when you most need energy.
Exercising consistently can help you shed that excess weight and feel more energetic during the day, as well as helping to regulate your circadian rhythm and leading to better sleep at night. Result.
Speaking of that all-important body clock of yours, check out our guide on the best ways to improve your sleeping patterns and circadian rhythm. You won’t regret it.
