The mid-afternoon crash isn’t just a TikTok discussion, it’s a real thing.
The mid-afternoon crash hits me almost every day and it becomes almost impossible to work in a productive way. It’s been an issue for years, so let’s come up with some strategies to cope – even though they might not be successful.
The first solution’s to power through, though this has become less and less doable since the development of my raging caffeine addiction. The next solution: drinking an 8 oz. Red Bull as quickly as possible. This isn’t a healthy habit so drink it responsibly.
My preferred route is a power nap. It’s only possible if my schedule allows for it – which is rare – but it’s far the most effective method.
The key to a good power nap is actually waking up on time. I have about a 50% success rate doing this because sometimes it’s hard getting up from a hot girl nap .
Power naps are meant to take advantage of natural sleep cycles, which are typically around 90 minutes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Power naps – should usually last between 20-30 minutes depending on the person – avoid the deep sleep elements of the sleep cycle. It’s less likely that the napper will wake up in a daze if they follow this closely.
Power naps can be beneficial for those who got a bad night’s sleep, they can also benefit those who don’t sleep well.
According to the Clinic, “a short afternoon nap can help you feel less sleepy.” Samuel Gurevich, a pulmonologist and sleep apnea specialist says other benefits include improvements in mood, alertness, reaction time, short-term memory and focus.
I’m still in the trial-and-error phase of learning to power nap, when I do it successfully, it’s always beneficial. I’m usually a little groggy and annoyed immediately after my alarm goes off but I feel the benefits after a few minutes. My power nap yesterday helped me avoid my afternoon Red Bull.