How to Beat Sleepiness at Work

Falling asleep during the workday can have detrimental effects. Depending on the field you work in, your safety and the safety of others can be in jeopardy. Road accidents, medical errors, air traffic accidents and the inability to react swiftly and remember information can occur when you're drowsy on the job. To avoid the mid-day dip, examine and adjust your lifestyle and sleep schedule, so that you can be 100 percent alert during your waking hours.

Instructions

• 1

  Create a sleep schedule so you get sufficient sleep at nighttime. Force yourself to go to bed at the same time each day, including weekends. Wake up at the same time each day, at least eight hours later. Set your alarm clock if needed. Over time, your body will adjust and you will automatically wake up eight hours later.

• 2

  Adjust your sleep cycle according to your work schedule. If you work the night shift, rearrange you lifestyle so you get eight hours of sleep during the daytime.

• 3

  Eat a light lunch, because a heavy lunch, high in fat, sugar and carbohydrates, can leave you feeling tired and fatigued. Avoid high-glycemic foods, because these foods spike your blood sugar and give you a temporary surge of false energy. The energy quickly fades and drowsiness and fatigue sets in.

• 4

  Take a 20-minute nap during lunch time if you feel sleepy. A quick nap can revive and refresh you. Avoid sleeping longer than 20 minutes because this may have an adverse affect.

• 5

  Drink one cup of coffee after eating lunch to ward off mid-day sleepiness. If you have trouble sleeping at night, limit your caffeine to half a cup of coffee during lunch.

• 6

  Take a 10-minute walk to get your blood circulating and to combat sleepiness. This quick burst of exercise has a refreshing effect that will wake you up.