SLEEPY AFTER LUNCH? 3 REASONS WHY IT HAPPENS (AND HOW TO FIX IT)

You find yourself overcome with drowsiness every day after lunch. And you can’t get any work done because you just want to crawl under your desk and go to sleep. Why does this always happen?

Read this article to find out why you’re falling asleep after lunchtime.

1. Sleep Deprivation

If you’re like most people, you’re not getting enough quality sleep at night. I always recommend a minimum of seven to eight hours of high-quality sleep to really cultivate energy and secrete sex hormones, like testosterone and human growth hormone. This give us our vitality and energy to power through the day.

Sleep is something that really goes unmentioned. I know it’s not the sexiest topic. Everybody wants to work out and build muscle. Lifting weights makes for a much better Instagram post than a photo of you with your sleep mask on in front of blackout curtains. But high-quality sleep is more important than your bone-crushing workouts. This is because sleep helps you actually recover all the stress you put yourself through—both physically and mentally.

So focus on making sleep a priority. And shoot for seven to eight hours of quality sleep every night. This should be your goal.

Now, it’s not always easy trying to achieve this. But it’s a sign you’re making sleep a priority. Getting everybody in your house to support your efforts to improve your sleep quality will help too. You don’t want to wake up to someone else working on the computer late at night.

2. Your Morning Coffee With Sweetener

The sweetener that you’re putting in your coffee is causing your blood sugar to spike. And whatever goes up must come down.

I think a lot of people overlook what type of sweeteners that they’re using in their morning coffee. These sweeteners will increase your blood sugar activity. Now, some may do more than others. But in general, they all are going to promote some type of insulin response. And believe it or not, artificial sweeteners will do the same.

Your body interprets artificial sweeteners, like Splenda and Truvia, as a sweet, which can negatively impact insulin. Generally, the period after lunchtime is when people start to crash. Then they start looking for another coffee to stay awake and focused for the rest of the day. This move can negatively impact your sleep at night.

Caffeine in coffee can have an eight-hour window or more before it’s fully metabolized. So it can have its lasting effects on your body as nighttime approaches. I believe I’m very sensitive to caffeine. I feel its effects for up to 10 to 12 hours, if not more. And if I drink coffee often, it builds up in my system and then negatively impacts my sleep.

Instead of using a sweetener, try using a tablespoon of coconut oil, grass-fed butter or MCT oil in your coffee. MCT oil is just a derivative of coconut oil. MCT stands for Medium Chain Triglycerides. By adding this healthy fat to your coffee, you eliminate the bitterness and it helps stabilize your blood sugar. Also, it helps you avoid your post-lunchtime crash and may help you control your hunger too!

I don’t mind if you use some heavy cream (if you can digest dairy). Try to avoid using conventional. Try to find the highest quality dairy you can. This means raw and organic, if possible.

3. Your Carb Intake

You should avoid carbohydrates in the morning and at lunchtime if you want to reduce your post-lunch sleepiness. The typical standard American breakfast is cereal and a glass of OJ. With this meal, you’re slamming yourself with a heavy dose of carbohydrates all at one time. This meal will spike your blood sugar, and then you’ll have a huge crash, which will leave you feeling lethargic and craving more sugar to bring you back up.

Instead, choose proteins and fats for lunch and breakfast. I’m a big proponent of proponent of high-quality fat, especially during the morning or your first meal. Whether you’re having your first meal right out of bed or you’re extending your fast to 10 am or 11am in the morning, have something like a boiled egg and sliced avocado. It’s a great first meal with quality fat. It’s easy to prepare, low in carbohydrates and rich in protein.

Conclusion

In summary, it really is a game – a game of balancing blood sugar. It starts with high-quality sleep, then following up with a high-quality coffee (if you are a coffee drinker) with coconut oil, MCT oil, or some heavy cream. Then, that first meal should be a combination of protein and fat.

Take notes and notice how your energy levels are throughout the morning. Do you feel satisfied? Do you feel energized? Do you feel focused?

Then at lunchtime, eat another meal that is a low carbohydrate, high fat, moderate protein meal with plenty of mixed greens to help aid in digestion and satiety.

Again, pay attention to how you feel after you eat. And compare your energy levels to the day before when you ate meals higher in carbohydrates, lower in fat and protein, and using sweeteners. I hope this information is helpful. What I’m sharing with you has worked wonders for my clients and myself.

Try it out and let me know in the comments below how it works for you!