Overwhelming afternoon tiredness

[MyDogsPaws]

aibu to think there must be a solution to ‘afternoon fatigue’? I often get so tired around 2pm I often cannot function properly, I can’t think straight and get awful headaches at the same time, sometimes I get clumsy and feel like my speech is slow.

In the mornings I feel fine and in the evening I am often so wide awake that I struggle to get to sleep. But I have have the most massive energy crash from 2-5pm. During the week my job is a mix of very physically intense site visits and I’m usually fine those day, or office days where I do get really tired in the afternoon. Weekends are the worst though, yesterday I took my kids out for a walk around 1pm and went to soft play afterwards I could feel myself getting tired and getting a headache at soft play so made them leave earlier than planned, but on the drive home I was so tired it didn’t really feel safe to drive so had to keep pulling over for a few mins and getting out the car for air. I had an excruciating headache when I got home I couldn’t look after my dc had to have a lie down while they were on their devices. I slept for exactly 10 minutes and woke up feeling normal again.

This happens to me all the time. I usually try really hard not to sleep even though I know it will make me feel better as even 10 mins sleep will stop me sleeping at night and make the problem worse the next day. I’ve suffered from this my whole life but it’s getting worse and worse the older I get. Never had a diagnosis of anything other than on and off low iron which I take tablets for as needed. Part of me thinks it must be mental as I dont get tried when I’m outside working and I feel so much better in the evening.

I was supposed to be going to visit someone this morning and they have asked If I can come this afternoon instead but I’m so worried about driving after yesterday that I’ve just has to cancel instead which my dc are very disappointed about.

Has anyone else ever had this and found a solution?

Try very low carb high protein lunches. If you like kale, eat kale salad or roasted kale instead of snacks. I get tired in the afternoons, but kale seems to power me up like no other food. And drink plenty of water. You could be getting dehydrated by then. That can create all the symptoms you describe - headaches, exhaustion and very slow and woolly mental function.

Based on personal experience I would recommend assessing your risk of T2 diabetes and if you are at risk getting a HBA1C test done.

I had extreme tiredness and generally feeling run down for months, thought it was just work stress and being stupidly busy.

Then in the last few weeks I started needing to get up in the night to pee, feeling very thirsty, very hungry and even more tired.

I bought a Freestyle Libre 2 sensor because I couldn't get a doctors appt and wanted to see what my glucose levels were like. Turns out they were crazy crazy high, so high that when i spoke to 111 last weekend to see if they could get me in to a different doctors they sent me direct to A&E instead. 5 hours, several tubes of blood, multiple finger sticks and an ECG later, I had a prescription for insulin and a whole new lifestyle.

One of my mum’s friends who worked as a GP and she told me that something her patients had an under active thyroid that fell slightly short of what was considered under active. She’d give a small dosage of thyroxine and they’d be really energised. This was years ago, and I think GPs had more leeway to prescribe outside of guidelines. In terms of Vit D, GPs will not as a rule test for it as it is an expensive test. My results when I got a private test in my early 40s were on the floor. But some docs believe what is ‘normal’ in the UK is not normal at all. We need more that what is considered normal. Possibily one reason why Australians live 5 years longer than us. Supplements made a big difference to my fatigue.

I like this. I just have a nap. I love them.

You might not have diabetes, but you do sound like you could be resistant to insulin. In which case diet will make a huge difference. It's also not surprising that when you are exercising you don't feel it - your body is processing better because you're moving. Your best bet is to proactively experiment with food and exercise.

Not quite the same but when I had gestational diabetes, I found that if I didn't take a short walk immediately after lunch - no matter WHAT I had eaten - my sugar levels would go through the roof.

So experiment with no carbs at lunch. Small amounts of exercise in the middle of the day. Different types of fat/protein.

I agree with the upping your water intake.
Coffee doesn’t count.
Drink lots of water.

If it's concerning you so much that you avoid driving, I'd go back to your GP - have they checked blood sugar as well as iron levels.

Anaemia won't be helping, but diabetes or prediabetes may be an issue.
Keto might be a bit drastic - try The 8 Week Blood Sugar Diet by Michael Mosley (thebloodsugardiet.com)
I'd definitely see GP first though

Oh, and I would add vitamin D to your daily regime - or at the very least, check your last tests. a lot of these sorts of deficiencies can be low level and aren't therefore flagged by NHS blood tests.

Go to the GP and ask for a blood test. Could be low iron stores, low B12, under active thyroid etc.

Also ensure you take regular screen breaks and are eating healthy, drinking enough water, taking light but regular exercise and getting enough fresh air.

Have you had your thyroid checked? Afternoon fatigue was one of the main symptoms that made me go to the doctors and it came back I have an under active thyroid. Started on meds and now I have no issue with this.

Headaches and fatigue can both be caused by dehydration. If your iron is low, that will also cause you to feel tired. I would up your fluid intake and avoid a carb loaded lunch - stick to protein (meat/fish/eggs/beans) and plenty of vegetables/salad and some fruit and protein yoghurt. Try and have a 20 minute power nap if you can. And try and get some fresh air and a bit of a walk every day.

I'd get to the Dr for full bloods, so many easily treatable things can cause this from iron deficiency, b12 deficiency and thyroid issues. Best to get it checked out, there could be an easy ish fix

I can have bad nights sleep and be okay as long as I’m outside all day but if I was in the office or at home I’d really struggle

I'd think about this some more. Could you be reacting to a lack of fresh air, cleaning products, dust or mould, or a type of lighting? Or is there another factor you could think of?

I've got hyperthyroidism and I get exactly the same. Definitely get checked out

Have you tried one of those lights used to treat SAD?

I get similar, mine is usually 3-5pm
It's my longest stretch of work too usually (working 1.30pm - 4pm) so I struggle! Can't move away from desk/screen so I end up just yawning away and mainlining coffee

I also love a nap but bit hard when looking after kids 🤣 I hate the afternoons from about 2 till 5ish I feel like shit every single day

Trip to the GP to get your thyroid checked and also check for prediabetes

I'd get a check up. Iv found drinking lots if water helps me with afternoon slump.

A colleague used to fall asleep at hus desk - that was caused by sleep apnoea. But I agree about thyroid, B vit, D vit levels all need checking, and seeing how well you're absorbing iron.

I have had very much the same symptoms for more than 20 years. I have fallen asleep at a traffic light, in the middle of a conversation with one of my children, even while standing up! Recently, I falling asleep during online meetings has become almost inevitable if it happens in the early afternoon.
Did all the tests: thyroid, iron, etc. Nothing came up. Also tried cutting out carbs, sleeping longer, stopping alcohol (this helps me sleep better, but didn't stop this issue).
I have now been diagnosed as probably narcoleptic, and been given medication. I'm waiting for a proper diagnosis with a specialist sleep centre.
The medication really helps, though it's a bit worrying in that it's basically just a stimulant (modafinil), and the idea of taking it all the time bothers me. So I only take it on days when I have to go into the office, and if I have to do a lot of online meetings etc in the early afternoon.
Narcolepsy has two types - one where your body also becomes floppy etc (cataplexy), and another where you don't. I likely have the second.

The answer is no carbs at lunchtime.