What should you actually do about afternoon sleepiness?
A dip in alertness in the early afternoon is a normal feature of the circadian rhythm, not a personal failing, and it exists even without lunch. What makes it worse: a large carbohydrate-heavy meal, dehydration, insufficient sleep the night before, and a dim, still environment. What helps: a lighter lunch with protein, a short walk outside for light and movement, and if genuinely needed, a nap of 10 to 20 minutes, which restores alertness without leaving you groggy. Naps beyond about 30 minutes take you into deeper sleep and generally make things worse.
Answers
The 20 minute nap limit is real. Anything longer and I lose the rest of the afternoon.
Lighter lunch with protein was the change. The heavy rice lunch was doing most of the damage.