Episode 11: Understanding the Afternoon Energy Dip and How to Combat It
Most people know the 3pm crash. It's easy to blame lunch - but the afternoon dip is actually built into your body clock. We have two sleepy windows in every 24 hours: a big one in the middle of the night and a smaller one in the middle of the afternoon. You can't delete it. You can decide how deep it goes.
In this short episode, Rich puts the questions to Hiro: why the dip happens, what makes it worse, and the practical changes that keep your energy steady through the afternoon.
In this episode:
Why the afternoon dip is a scheduled event driven by your internal body clock - not just the food you ate
The three things that make it deeper: a poor night's sleep, a big lunch built on refined carbs (sandwiches, baguettes, pizza, pasta, meal deals), and caffeine timing
Why caffeine doesn't give you energy - it puts a lid on tiredness, and when it wears off the dip lands harder
Breakfast matters too: carb-heavy with no protein sets you up for a bigger crash
Always tired, not just in the afternoon? Low iron, folate, B12 or vitamin D can be behind it - get a blood test
The fixes: prioritise 7-9 hours of sleep, build lunch around quality protein and complex carbs (root vegetables, potato, sweet potato, fruit), and take a short walk after eating
Know your caffeine cut-off - clearance varies from person to person, anywhere from about 90 minutes to nine hours
Do your most demanding work in the morning and save routine, lower-effort tasks for the afternoon
Where to start if that feels like a lot: sleep. Poor sleep pushes you towards carb-heavy food and more caffeine, which wrecks the next night's sleep - a vicious circle. Fix sleep first and the other two get easier. For more, go back to Episode 4: Sleep Is the Master Pillar.
Work with your body, not against it.
If you're always exhausted or have an underlying health condition, speak to your GP. We're coaches, not doctors.
If you found this useful, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Over 40 and want help with your health, wellbeing or performance? DM the word METHOD on Instagram @richlevy_performance.
Comments