Afternoon Doldrums and 5-Hour Energy.

We take a sillytime break for 30-60 min. Kiddo usually watches a movie, or plays on the computer, or chases his dog around the yard, or plays in his room, or practices the piano, or whatever. He picks something fun to do & I read a book, or watch a bit of a movie, or call a friend. We both take a "me" break. On rare occasions he or I or both of us take a nap.

I think just about everybody winds down in the afternoon a bit. Try taking a walk around the block around noon (or some other bit of exercise). It will either pick you up or get you tired enough to go take a nap. Either way you'll feel better.

Got three words for you Mamma, N-A-P!

You need protein when you get sleepy.
Almonds.... peanuts....
hard boiled egg even...
Stay away from that 5 hour stuff -- it's bad for you.
YMMV
LBC

I do what Riley suggested.

The afternoons are nap or quiet time, for me AND the kids.
Its a "routine" so they know it... and its a respite for all of us.

If you are tired, just say to your kid "Mommy is tired, I have to rest a moment... you can play with something...." etc. or something like that.
Don't feel guilty.
Kids don't need us to 'entertain' them each and every minute.

When my kids nap, I nap too sometimes.

good luck,
Susan

Thanks for asking this question because just yesterday I was thinking the exact same thing at 2pm. I have been noticing how tired I am when I am driving the kids around at that time. I got addicted to Monster Energy drinks for awhile (the lo carb kind) and found that they gave me energy, but they started making me feel bad. Just felt like my body was off, and I gained weight. I try to take naps with the kids when I can (they are 2 and 3) but on the days that I can't I am looking for a pick me up. I may try the vitamin route or the protein around 1pm.

My husband tried one of those 5-hour energy drinks and he said he would NEVER do it again. He felt like he was going to have a heart attack and almost felt too cracked out to focus on work.
Sometimes a snack and a tiny bit of caffeine helps me get through those days when I am dragging. However I rarely drink caffeine so that tiny kick is all I need to help me through. The food is what I really crave and it gives my body the energy it needs if it is a healthy snack.
Good Luck!

i take all vitamins that are energy boosters..like B12 ..Adrenal..Reservatrol, Quercetin, and i drink a cappuccino...i also exercise and that actually boosts my energy..i tried this vitamin that speeds up metabolism or i guess it was a diet pill..boy did i have energy..too much for me..its called OxyElite Pro..they have free samples at the Vitamin Shoppe

someone said nap then coffee. I can't remember where, but there's a new theory out there that suggests we drink a strong cup of coffee and THEN lay down for a nap. The idea is that we will fall asleep for a quick cat nap and about 20 minutes in, the coffee in the caffeine will hit and we will be able to wake up refreshed both from the quick cat nap and the caffeine boost. I haven't tried it myself, but it sounds like something worth trying if you don't want to take a long nap - just a refresher.

Hi Kelly,
My afternoon doldrums are closer to 3 pm like clock work. What has worked for me are a couple of supplements by Herbalife. Both work really well and come in a variety of flavors. If you are interested, send me an email at ____@____.com you find what works best for you.

Thanks,
V.

Exercise more and go out instead of staying at home. That has helped me. And maybe once a week, take a nap.

I like the 5 hour energy drink, they do seem to perk me up some when I start to run out of steam.

If I have one I will drink just 1/2 of the 5 hour drink and drink the rest the next time. They're good open for 2-3 days. I did the Mosters for a while but after a couple weeks I woke up feeling dizzy and crummy. I don't know how bad or good they are for you. I don't feel a "come down" from them like the Monster/redbulls.

Hi,

I would stay away from those energy drinks. They have alot of "bad" stuff in them. I would try taking a walk. Getting out in the fresh air will revive you. Or try a high protein snack. Sometimes I drink Cinch Tea or drink an energizing protein shake. Both of these products are from Shaklee. They are completely safe and contain no harmful ingredients. The tea is a combination of natural green, red, and matcha teas. Shaklee also has an eneryg chew that is comparable to the energy drinks out there, but safe. It's green tea, vitamin B & D, and has no artifical flavors, colors, sweeteners or preservatives. I love them for my workouts. Shaklee is the #1 natural nutrition company in the U.S. and has been around for 54yrs. They've never had an FDA investigation or product recall in all those years! Shaklee has a reputation for safe, high quality, and effective products. You can check out these products at www.greennutrition.info. Let me know if you have any questions.

get your blood flowing... go for a walk, skip rope, play tag/hide n seek with your kids (my fav)

Oh gosh... this was me too... falling asleep at my desk in the afternoon... opps! I got turned on to Isagenix... wonderful products... no longer feeling that afternoon slump, waking up earlier and more energized... I used to quite often wake up with a headache as well... not any more. Feed your body right and you will feel great... the easy way to do that.( as I am a busy mom, plus work FT) for me is.. Isagenix! You should check it out. Let me know if you have questions! C.

I nap. My son naps and so do I. Sometimes he doesn't want to nap and I'll tell him it's quiet time for resting. He doesn't have to sleep but he does have to keep his voice to a whisper and stay in his bed. I'll let him take some of his fav toys with him. Usually he falls asleep and snoozes for 2 hours! I usually only nap 15-30 minutes because I can't seem to nap longer. Resting in the early afternoon is a good idea for anybody at any age! My son is 3 and we keep this nap/quiet time going because he's a lot less grumpy and hyper if he has some down time to regroup...and me too!

I usually make an iced coffee around then - almost half cream and lots of ice so it's diluted and low in caffeine, but just enough to give me a lift. Also I sleep in once a week, on the weekends, while my husband gets up early with the baby. This seems to hit my 'reset' button and refresh me.

Try a handful of nuts! Or peanut butter on a rice cake.

a snack with a balance of protein carbs and fat. all of that other stuff can be very dangerous. i would do some research first.

I personally prefer to stay away from products like that because most aren't FDA approved (examples: hydroxycut, Xenadrine, etc).

Depending on your circadian rhythms, it's quite common to get an afternoon lull around that time. Probably the best thing to do is to get up and get moving - if you work and can take a trip through the office (up/down stairs), etc. Increasing your heart rate will help and is likely the safest. Caffeine doesn't have much of an impact on me, so having a coke doesn't do me much good one way or the other.

The active ingredient in 5 hour energy is caffeine (comparable to a good, strong cup of coffee).
Carbs become energy as well, so you can always have something sugary, too to combat your lull. A trick we used to use in gymnastics was to eat pixie sticks, suck down powdered Jell-O, etc. before going out for a routine, but the chances of crashing and burning later go up dramatically, too.