The 3 PM Energy Slump: What’s Really Going On

And How to Beat It

We've all been there: It's 3 PM, you're staring at your screen, and everything feels a little blurry. Your eyelids get heavy, and you experience a nearly irresistible urge to curl up under your desk. The siren call of sugar and caffeine falls on your ears (“We’re the only way out!” they say) and the rest of the day feels insurmountably hard:  I’m supposed to do what?  Go grocery shopping?  Pick up my kids?  Exercise?!  

Welcome to the 3 PM energy slump. 

What's really happening in your body when this wave of fatigue hits? As it turns out, quite a bit.  Here’s some of the surprising science behind the 3 PM slump and its links to circadian rhythms, sleep deprivation, blood sugar levels, viral activity and adrenal health.

Circadian Rhythms and the Afternoon Dip

Circadian rhythms regulate a variety of physiological processes, including sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, and metabolic functions, and as a result, have a profound effect on our energy levels. These rhythms follow a roughly 24-hour cycle and are heavily influenced by environmental cues such as light and temperature.

One of the key drivers of the 3 PM energy slump is our natural circadian rhythm. Studies have shown that human alertness and cognitive performance typically follow a bimodal pattern throughout the day. The first peak occurs around mid-morning, while the second significant dip often takes place between 2 PM and 4 PM. This post-lunch dip in alertness is a biologically programmed event, even if you’ve had a good night’s sleep. So, to some degree, this is normal.  But I can tell you from first hand and clinical experience that the slump doesn’t hit everyone the same way.  Some people barely register it.  

Blood Sugar: Peaks & Crashes

Food is information for your body, and your diet plays a pivotal role in how you feel at 3 PM. After lunch, your body works to digest and metabolize the food you’ve eaten, which can impact your blood sugar levels. Higher-carb or sugary lunches can cause a rapid spike in blood glucose, followed by a quick drop, which leaves you feeling tired, sluggish, and craving more sugar (Jovanovic & Peterson, 2011).  Skipping lunch means you rely on your glands and organs to get glucose into circulation in the absence of food–which comes at a cost to our system.  

A study by Wolever et al. (1997) showed that meals with a high glycemic index were more likely to induce fatigue later in the day. The rapid rise and fall in blood sugar lead to a temporary surge of energy, followed by a crash. This crash often coincides with the natural circadian dip, creating a double-whammy effect: biologically, you’re already predisposed to feel sleepy, and the blood sugar crash intensifies that feeling.

Adrenal Health: How Stress Makes you Tired

The adrenal glands, which sit atop the kidneys, play a critical role in regulating your body's stress response. Among other hormones, they produce cortisol, which helps manage your "fight-or-flight" response and also plays a key role in maintaining steady energy and blood sugar levels throughout the day.

When you're under chronic stress, your adrenal glands can become overworked, a condition referred to as "adrenal fatigue" (although this term is not widely accepted in mainstream medicine, let me tell you, it’s a real thing!). Over time, this chronic overactivation leads to cortisol dysregulation. Cortisol levels typically follow a diurnal rhythm, peaking in the morning and gradually tapering off throughout the day. However, chronic stress can lead to an imbalance, where cortisol is too low when it should be high, or too high when it should be tapering off (Samuels, 2012).

When cortisol levels dip too low in the afternoon, you can feel drained and lethargic. Too high, and you can feel tired and wired. 

Viral Activity:  A Surprising Contributor

It’s 3 PM and your body’s viruses are having a party.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is a rhythm to viral activity, and research indicates that Covid, flu and other viral loads may be highest in the afternoon  (so much so that some studies indicate Covid testing may be more accurate in the afternoon, when viral shedding is highest).  If you are sick, or have been recently sick, and your body is still working on resolving and recovering from the virus, 3 PM is going to feel a whole lot worse.  Even if you thought you were recovered, you might find yourself dragging through this time for several weeks, or even mounting a bit of a fever.  Post-viral fatigue is normal (especially with Covid!), and can present strongly at this time.  

This is a great opportunity to drink some broth, take your herbs, and rest or sleep, if you are able.

What does this mean for those with chronic or relapsing viral conditions, like Epstein Barr, Herpes, and Hep C?  I can say from personal experience with EBV, and my clincial experience with clients dealing with an array of chronic viruses, that 3 PM is often an exceedingly challenging time, often followed by an increase in alertness at around 7 PM.  


Other Factors I Have Seen Dramatically Worsen the 3 PM Slump:


  • Hormonal fluctuation (perimenopause, pregnancy, postpartum, PMS)

  • Undiagnosed/untreated sleep apnea

  • Chronic sleep deprivation (getting < 6hr per night 3 or more days/week)

  • Low thyroid function 

  • Low B12, Vitamin D and ferritin (your body’s storage form of iron)

  • Stress


How to Beat the 3 PM Slump

The 3 PM energy slump is real, rooted in both our biology and lifestyle choices. These strategies to minimize the impact of the dip can be total game changers.  

1.  Focus on your Food:  Your best shot at moving the needle on afternoon fatigue comes from your food choices. Getting 25-40 grams of protein at breakfast and lunch can change your life.  Reduce or eliminate simple carbohydrates like bread, bagels, cereal, muffins and sugary bars and replace them with roasted squash or sweet potatoes, ½ cup servings of whole grains (like quinoa or brown rice) and high fiber veggies.  Healthy fats will help to further stabilize your blood sugar:  almonds, walnuts, avocados, fatty fish, and olive oil all count.  If you don’t have an appetite at either breakfast or lunch, opt for a smoothie with protein powder and nut butter, or a pureed veggie soup with protein powder and collagen.  Don’t make fruit a meal–while full of fiber and other good stuff, fruit also has a lot of sugar.  You’ll want to balance that with adequate protein and fat intake.  Post-meal bitters can make a huge difference in your digestive efficiency and comfort after eating.  Gut Love Bitters is a great choice if you have never tried one and aren’t sure where to start.  

2. Adaptogens:  From an herbal perspective, the best approach to support normal circadian rhythms–including cortisol rhythms–is adaptogen therapy.  These herbs work with our system to help buffer us from the negative effects of stressors, whatever they may be–life demands, sleep loss, sickness, you name it.  Some of these herbs, like rhodiola, cordyceps and ginseng are overtly energizing.  Others, like reishi and ashwagandha, are considered to be more calming, building and regulating.  The benefits of adaptogens emerge over time with continued use, so it’s best to given them 3-6 weeks before making a decision about them.  Their effects can feel subtle at first–until one day you realize you’re making it through your day with dragging yourself through it.  

3.  Incorporate Nervines:  It may seem counterintuitive to take relaxing herbs when we feel tired, but often nervine herbs can gently support our nervous system and help cut down on the stress static that is interfering with our brain’s ability to function well.  They can also help us resist the urge to stress-eat sugar, which contributes to the cycle of dysregulation, and they can help us unwind at night without the use of alcohol.  

4.  Immune herbs + Nutrients:  When your body is fueled to fight and resolve infections, you are more likely to have healthy inflammation levels and not be “immune fatigued.”  We herbalists love medicinal (sometimes called “functional”) mushrooms, elderberry, Chinese skullcap, quercetin, vitamin C, D/K and zinc.  We also know how inextricably linked gut health is to a healthy immune fucntion and love teas, broth and bitters to support motility, digestion and healthy inflammatory tone in the gut.  “Not Sick” and “Forest Immune” are our 2 top sellers for immune nourishment.   

Beat Afternoon Fatigue Cheat Sheet:

25-40 grams of protein at breakfast and lunch (or 1 larger meal + 1 protein snack or smoothie)

Energizing Adaptogen for morning and mid-day:  Uplift, Adrenalove, LB Stim, Forest Immune

Calming Adaptogen and/or Relaxing Nervine for afternoon and evening:  Nerve Nourisher, LB Nourish, Sleep Adapt, Cherry Bomb, Feeling Easy, Hey Happy

Swap out caffeine and sugar for Reishi Roast + Radical Immune protein balls for an afternoon pick-me-up and immune support. 

Light exposure:  Research has shown that even a brief walk or exposure to natural light (or lightbox–see our fave picks in this article on SAD) can help alleviate afternoon fatigue and reset your circadian rhythm (Leone et al., 2017). 

Drink at least 6 glasses of water before 3 PM–fatigue can be a sign of dehydration, especially in winter when we don’t get as many cues to drink water!

Get up and move–stretch, rock on your feet, or try this 7-Minute Stress workout 

Take optimized multi like Pure ONE (with activated B complex, zinc and 2000 IU of vitamin D), magnesium glycinate before bed, and, if you are low, a good iron supplement.


 


 

References

  • Banks, S., Van Dongen, H. P., Maislin, G., & Dinges, D. F. (2007). Neurobehavioral dynamics following chronic sleep restriction: Dose-response effects of one night for recovery. Sleep, 30(2), 165-176.

  • Czeisler, C. A., & Klerman, E. B. (1999). Circadian and sleep-dependent regulation of hormone release in humans. Recent Progress in Hormone Research, 54, 97-132.

  • Jovanovic, L., & Peterson, C. M. (2011). The role of diet in type 2 diabetes. Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America, 40(4), 759-773.

  • Leone, M. J., Sigman, M., & Golombek, D. A. (2017). Effects of light on human circadian rhythms: Molecular, neural, and behavioral mechanisms. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 11, 384.

  • Ludwig, D. S. (2002). The glycemic index: Physiological mechanisms relating to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. JAMA, 287(18), 2414-2423.

  • Monk, T. H., Buysse, D. J., Reynolds, C. F., Berga, S. L., Jarrett, D. B., Begley, A. E., & Kupfer, D. J. (2004). Circadian rhythms in human performance and mood under constant conditions. Journal of Sleep Research, 13(1), 35-42.

  • Samuels, M. H. (2012). The endocrine system and energy balance. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 97(9), 3160-3169.

  • Siegel, J. M. (2005). Clues to the functions of mammalian sleep. Nature, 437(7063), 1264-1271.

  • Wolever, T. M. S., Jenkins, D. J. A., Ocana, A. M., Rao, V. A., & Collier, G. R. (1997). Second-meal effect: Low-glycemic-index foods eaten at dinner improve subsequent breakfast glycemic response. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 65(3), 448-453.

 

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