Often felt by administrative hour workers, from 08:00 to 18:00, post-lunch fatigue can be so common that it may seem inevitable, but it’s not quite true. 

It happens that, although lunchtime is fundamental to replenish your energy after a long and busy morning, it’s not nice when right after the main meal of the day you feel unwell, sleepy, or unproductive; after all, there is still a long journey ahead until finally it’s time to rest. 

The subject has been studied for a long time, and the post-lunch drowsiness even has a scientific term: it is called “postprandial sleepiness”, which, although it has a very technical name, is extremely natural and does not signal anything wrong with your organism. 

Although it is a biological reaction, in the current times and with a labor market with increasingly longer working hours, it is very useful to know how to avoid unproductivity.

Cause of post-lunch fatigue

After eating some food, especially at lunchtime, the time when most people have their main meal of the day, it is completely natural to feel a little unwell. This is due to the great increase in blood flow, which is intended to help in the digestion process. 

It happens that once the blood flow is increased and accelerated, less blood and oxygen is taken to the brain, causing drowsiness and physical tiredness. 

This is completely natural. But some foods cause more fatigue than others, and avoiding them is the first tip in this content: 

Tip 01 – Avoid the foods that cause more sleepiness

The foods rich in amino acids tryptophans are the most responsible for sleepiness, but it is worth remembering that, leveraging the feeling of sleep does not indicate that the food is bad, so, choose to consume them, preferably during the night, at dinner. 

Check out the main foods that have the amino acid tryptophan: 

Fish: Salmon, sole, tuna and trout are some of the fish meats that can be avoided at lunchtime, but that makes them great combinations for light salads at dinner. 

Cheeses: Parmesan, brie, emmental or camembert are all rich in the “sleep amino acid” and again, can be eaten quietly in the evening. 

Cereals: Products containing red wheat flour, oatmeal or buckwheat can also be avoided at the main meals of the day if you want to keep your mood up. 

Milk: Every child has had a glass of warm milk before going to bed, right? It is precisely because of its ability to induce sleep that this food is part of the habit of many parents who offer it to their children. So, you can include it in the list of what not to eat in the afternoon. 

Tip 02 – Invest in hydration 

The main point in the relationship between hydration and sleep after lunch is that, usually, many people overeat at this meal and this usually happens because the lack of hydration during the morning stimulates hunger. 

So, since overeating is one of the main causes of fatigue, don’t drink too little water.

Tip: If even maintaining adequate hydration you are feeling very hungry during the day, check out our other content on the subject: Why we feel hungry all the time.

Tip 03 – Small anti-sleep exercises

Walking around the company courtyard or even some stretching exercises can be great allies of focus, after all, almost any movement has the ability to stimulate the replenishment of oxygen in the brain, a reason that we have already explained is responsible for sleep. 

And it doesn’t stop there, if you unfortunately can’t go out for a walk or you lack time for stretching, just take a deep breath and hold your breath a few times, this simple exercise will also help oxygenation.