Q: I'm a hard-working financial advisor, and I find myself getting sleepy around 1:30 pm every work day. Why do I get so tired, and what can I do about it?

A: There are a few possible reasons, and once you can figure out your own situation, you can take action.


1. Your natural rhythms

Most cultures around the world understand that our energy dips naturally in the afternoon. That's what siesta was invented for. Lunch is the big meal of the day, followed by a couple hours of napping.

If that's you big time, you have a few choices. You can mess with your circadian rhythms, experimenting with getting up earlier, eating at weird times, etc. until you figure out a way to stay peppy at 2 pm. You can schedule smarter, putting your most demanding tasks in the morning or late afternoon, and devoting the two hours after lunch to reading and administration. Doesn't always work out, but that's the goal.

2. You're not getting enough sleep

This is pretty common - I read recently that some researchers estimate about 75% of Americans are sleep-deprived to some degree (I don't remember the exact number - I fell asleep before I finished the article). If you're in sleep debt, you're going to get sleepy.

Imagine the question was this: my cell phone battery dies after I use the phone for 2 hours. What can I do?

Obviously, the answer would be, stop talking on the phone and recharge your battery. No matter if you needed to make a really important phone call, or if your boss was trying to reach you, or if you needed to contact someone in an emergency. When your phone is out of juice, it ain't gonna work.

When you're that tired, you can fool your body into feeling energized by eating foods high in sugar and caffeine. But that's not giving you more energy - it's actually telling your body that it's OK to deplete your reserves past the point of health.

Caffeine gives me the illusion of energy because it's toxic -my heart rate increases to speed the elimination of caffeine from my bloodstream.

Think of this scenario as energy debt. If you had a client in financial debt, you wouldn't recommend that they open as many credit card accounts as they could so they could maintain their standard of living. Yet by using food to give yourself short-term energy, you're borrowing expensive energy to pay down the much cheaper sleep energy. That's simply not sustainable.

The solution here is to take recuperation seriously. Sleep, naps, quiet times, deep breathing - in our crazy lives, if we don't plan for downtime, it ain't gonna come uninvited. Until, of course, our bodies just cry uncle and force us to take a load off.

3. You're consuming energy "time bombs"

If you're in energy debt, you'll likely go for a pick-me-up around 10:30 am (gee, just in time for coffee break - a coincidence?) Your choice will probably include caffeine and sugar, which will give you a 90-minute buzz. It will start wearing off around lunchtime, at which point you'll throw some more fuel down the hatch to keep going. By 1:30 pm, the effects of all that stimulation have worn off, and you're left with your lethargy.

Notice that in this scenario, you're eating to stay awake, not because you're in need of calories or micronutrients. Sounds like a recipe for weight gain to me!

The solution is two-pronged: while you make a serious effort to repay your energy debt (which, like student loans, many people are still carrying from their late teens), you're going to find some foods that give you a mild boost without leading to a crash. Fruit, fresh and dried, raw nuts, cool glasses of water - there are lots of pick-me-ups that don't end up hurling you down shortly thereafter.

Bottom Line: There's no getting around the fact that if you spend more than you make, you're going to build up debt. Works with money, works with vital energy.

There's a lot of stuff on the internet about "food and mood" - certain foods are supposed to boost your mood and energy by playing with your serotonin levels. That may be, but I'm more concerned with the fundamentals. Get enough rest, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds - some of it raw - and stay active. Then you won't need to tweak lunch to stay alert and vibrant.