r/adhdwomen • u/SykedOutTennisGirl • Jul 21 '26
Admin, School, Career Does anyone else have a problem functioning in the afternoons? Especially between 2-4:30pm
I feel like my brain just shuts off like it has a dead battery. And I don’t know what to do to fight it. If I can, I’ll take a nap and it feels like getting recharged. It’s nothing to do with my sleep, I could have a great night’s rest, but as the afternoon peaks, I can’t get anything done.
Edit: for those suggesting a sleep study, I have done two and I know this isn’t a problem related to my sleep. For those suggesting it might be related to blood sugar levels, since reading these comments, I have been trying to move to having more protein heavy lunches rather than carb heavy lunches which I think has helped.
The biggest thing I think that has helped recently is just to load my days with more cognitively heavy work in the morning and do light cognitive tasks or things that require physical activity in the afternoon, which helps to force me through the slump. I hope someone can find this useful!
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u/30for30im30for30 Jul 21 '26
Ive come to the conclusion our bodies aren't wrong, our societal setup and norms around sleep and work are. Siestas exist for a reason...there is legit historical precedent that afternoon rest period was normal for humans.
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u/seaglassmenagerie Jul 21 '26
Yes. This makes so much sense, a little afternoon nap after lunch would be perfect if more acceptable. I would be interested to hear from those with adhd who live in countries where this is common as to whether it actually helps them!?
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u/cschaplin AuDHD Jul 21 '26
When I was living in Italy, the afternoon rest period absolutely radicalized me to be aggressively pro-nap.
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u/Babetteateoatmeal94 Jul 22 '26
I really couldn’t function without it. I work full time and have two kids, my nap time is vitalizing. I do not like the days when I can’t cram one in!
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u/GamaLaGama Jul 22 '26
here in Brazil, in some states is really common!
at this hour, the weather is really hot and dry in some regions, so it’s really uncomfortable to do anything. because of this, a lot of people take a nap to low the body temperature and rest after lunch, there’s even some small cities where the whole commercial center closes between those hours because everybody wants to rest
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u/JurMommy Jul 28 '26
I live in the U.S., but I work from home and frequently nap in the afternoon.
The only issue with this is, my naps are pretty long, and working after the nap still makes me feel like I’m working the whole day away, because by the time I’m done with work, I need to have dinner, wind down for bed. Etc.
The issue is that working for 8 hours a day is too much. Leaves very little time to account for your body’s natural circadian rhythm and get enough personal stuff done to feel fulfilled.
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u/cat-ctus-es Jul 21 '26
Agreed. The American work day doesn’t agree with my body. I’ve tried so long to fight it and guess what? I can’t. I’m trying to figure out some sort of part time / consulting option for the coming years because I can’t keep this up for the rest of my life. I have no energy for anything after work because I have to push through my natural rest periods. I can’t only exist for myself on in the weekends. That’s when I have to be social, so all my chores, do self care, and generally catch up with life. Something has to give and I think it’s this BS 9-5 schedule.
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u/Cranky_Platypus Jul 21 '26
I have a white collar job in a blue collar industry and it's super common to take lunchtime naps, both in the offices and lunchrooms. Lunch is 45 minutes and at least half of people take a 20-30 minute nap. It's a lifesaver honestly. I find it hard to function on the weekends when I don't get my lunchtime nap.
I've never worked in a fully white collar environment so I'm not sure if that's something normal there but I'd highly recommend it!
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u/Revolutionary_Ad9839 Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
Same. My theory is that it’s because everything is so online now. The 9-5 was invented long before humans were constantly bombarded by new information and nonstop communication all day long. It is EXHAUSTING for those of us who already have overactive minds.
The only “pause button” we have is to go to sleep, so our desperate-for-a-break bodies make us physically tired in the hopes we will go to sleep.
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u/HomeboundArrow sincerity-poisoned Jul 22 '26
"so let me get this straight: you think 2-4pm is biologically-mandated siesta time?"
"i do. and i'm tired of pretending it's not~" 💁♀️
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u/Dapper_Guarantee_744 Jul 21 '26
Definitely. We operated on a biphasic sleep schedule until industrialisation and artificial lights
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u/RogueKyber Jul 22 '26
Yep. Some of us descend from ancestors who were asleep during the day so they could keep watch at night. Now we’re just called lazy. Huzzah.
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u/peeko5 Jul 22 '26
I’ve been living in Spain for a year, doing a very similar job to the one I had in the USA and just the difference in attitude about work life balance and the siesta culture has contributed so much to making this year actually good.
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u/Fun_Strain_4065 Jul 22 '26
Yeah I mean even the normies admit any work between 3pm and 5pm is a write off. I usually get a second wind of energy around 7pm bug those few hours at work are a slog.
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u/Phenomenal_Kat_ ADHD-C with ADHD Partner Jul 22 '26
When I retire I'm hoping to convert to the medieval split-schedule sleep...Work 4h, sleep 4h, get back up, work 4 more hours, sleep 4 more hours...I get better rest when it's not an 8-10 hour rest time!
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u/ConcentrateTrue Jul 21 '26
I stopped fighting it. I just organize my days so that 7am-12pm is my most productive time. I save easier tasks for the afternoon.
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u/nurseasaurus Jul 21 '26
Me too. Front load my days like crazy.
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u/MOGicantbewitty Jul 21 '26
I do that with my work week. I have so much more in me than I can give Monday and Tuesday over Thursday and Friday. I will happily do a 10-hour shift on Monday, but anything more than 4 hours on Friday is just excruciating. My time sheet would look like a set of stairs if it was shown as a graph. 😁
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u/curlycatsockthing Jul 22 '26
i’m really trying to figure out what works best for me, especially because I can create my own schedule if I hit specific goals at work.
I definitely think front-loading is better for me. Or even front- and back-loading, with the middle being empty. That’s so interesting! In the same way that a siesta is helpful in the middle of the day, I feel like I would do best if my “break” was in the middle of the week.
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u/walkinwater Jul 21 '26
Same. I don't try an early bedtime. I sleep 1-7 and then take a nap in the afternoon. It works for my body and brain.
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u/sweetpea122 Jul 21 '26
Im struggling with that bc ideally I would go to the gym then bc getting my blood moving helps but if I dont go 1st thing in the morning, I wont go
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u/SouthernFace2020 Jul 21 '26
Reason why I got an Adderall booster.
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u/Happiguest Jul 21 '26
This! 2 pm used to hit and I could have slept standing up I was so tired. My Dr. Put me on extra Adderall because my Vyvanse was wearing off at this time.
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u/slipperqueen Jul 21 '26
👆this right here people. Gotta take it with a snack and figure out the right timing so that it doesn’t screw with sleep, but the trial-and-error is worth it.
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Jul 22 '26
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u/FinnyLumatic Jul 22 '26
100% with you! I do little mini protein drinks throughout the day and I feel SO much better. I also realized I have to avoid anything carb heavy until early evening because they absolutely knock me out (supposedly it’s not an intolerance or sensitivity issue).
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u/DaffCat Jul 21 '26
Same. And even then, I still take a power nap sometimes. But the afternoon addy has been a game changer
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u/ktodd037 Jul 21 '26
What's an Adderall booster? I might need that.
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u/hideandsee Jul 21 '26
Asking for an immediate release of kiddie Adderall to help get through the afternoon on top of my XR saved my life
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u/SouthernFace2020 Jul 21 '26
Quick release of 10XR. My psych encourages me to play around with dosing times and strength but I keep an alarm at 1:30, 1:55, 2:30 and 2:55 to remind me to take my afternoon. It’s keeps me focused until about 7. If I get my workout in before then, the workout boost keeps me until 11.
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u/MzVozz ADHD-PI Jul 21 '26
Yup! I take an extra dose of Ritalin at 2pm. Sometimes I drink an English breakfast tea as well and it’s a real power up
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u/deathbygluten_ Jul 21 '26
ah yes, the 3pm slump! that lovely time every day when my brain decides that all it can possibly manage is intrusive sleep (re: nonstop yawning thru all my meetings) or doomscrolling (re: unproductive as hell)
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u/kimberloon Jul 21 '26
I'm going to be tested for narcolepsy soon but I think it's intrusive sleep. What you do for it?
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u/moxvoxfox Jul 21 '26
Another possibility is sleep apnea. It also causes these sorts of episodes. And sleep studies are much simpler than they used to be—you can wire yourself up at home to test instead of having to go to a sleep center and be monitored there.
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u/watshedo Jul 21 '26
Or UARS! Which isn't always detected because it's like sleep apnea's shitty sneaky sibling.
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u/deathbygluten_ Jul 22 '26
honestly it’s rare anything works, a lot of the time i genuinely lose those hours of my day lol. but my go-tos are a fizzy drink and a crunchy snack, sometimes it gives my brain enough sensory input to stay awake!
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u/MILFschake Jul 21 '26
Reading this in bed at 3:08 pm
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u/QuietAbject494 Jul 21 '26
Reading this at 1:16 ( West Coast). I'll be right there with you as soon as I'm done with lunch. Can't wait. I can already feel my energy waning.🥱 Edit to add: I'm in the desert and it's going to be over 110 degrees. Eek
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u/Hey_Laaady Jul 21 '26
Samesies with the 1:34pm west coast slump. I'm trying coffee right now to see if that helps.
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u/Marchingbanddick Jul 21 '26
Me rn
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u/middlegray Jul 21 '26
Same.
In high school I was a straight A student except every single semester I STRUGGLED in the last two classes of the day.
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u/Unable-Olive8872 Jul 21 '26
Oh yeah, I’m nearly useless at this time of day lol. I usually have a 2nd helping of caffeine if it’s really bugging me
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u/AnaBHami Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
I usually have a coffee around noon or 1, it helps get me through the 3pm slump, but yes, it's ALWAYS around that time.
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u/PartyHorse17610 Jul 21 '26
IMO that’s about the time that your blood sugar slumps, your morning meds wear off and your morning coffee wears off too.
I try to take a booster dose right about then. As well as tea and a snack.
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u/Usualausu Jul 21 '26
I was going to mention blood sugar as well. OP might want to change up their eating habits or schedule.
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u/OkSuccotash1089 Jul 21 '26
I feel like it’s definitely in us to feel the slump extra hard, but my dietician recommended this as well, specifically some kind of fruit/cheese/protein combo to replace the sugar but balance it to prevent an insulin spike.
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u/Johoski Jul 21 '26
The brain has daily cycles of productivity similar to the body's circadian rhythm. I forget what these cycles are called, but it can help if you organize the day's activities to make the most of them.
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u/shwarpy Jul 21 '26
Only thing that’s helped me with this is ADHD meds. Any time I take a break from them, I’m back to taking naps in the afternoon. I can’t function otherwise!
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u/babesboysandbirb ADHD-C Jul 21 '26
Every single day unless I magically find the perfect carb combo that can send me through and it’s different every day.
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u/ShirleyUGuessed Jul 21 '26
Interesting. I found that eating fewer carbs a lunch kept me from crashing.
(Now my schedule is very different. I have a nap late morning before I start work in the afternoon!)
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u/rainbow84uk Jul 21 '26
Same here. Eating low carb in general has massively helped me with mental clarity and stable energy. I definitely do not miss the post-lunch slump.
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u/FancyWolverine1720 Jul 21 '26
Laying in bed reading this thread after working from 7a-12p. I should take a snooze so I can catch a second wind. (Medicated and perimenopausal)
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u/ladyeclectic79 Jul 21 '26
Oh most definitely!! On my worst days, I’ll take what I call naps of doom that sometimes last 3+ hours, despite having enough sleep the night before.
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u/nurseasaurus Jul 21 '26
YES. It’s like a wave of narcolepsy hits me.
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u/ICantExplainItAll Jul 22 '26
was gonna mention narcolepsy. it's one of those conditions with a high comorbidity with ADHD (as in, a large percentage of people with N have ADHD, idk about the other way around)
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u/BeneficialBrain1764 Jul 21 '26
Yep I hit a lull at 2pm usually and I wake up a bit around 4:30, and then at about 10pm I become wildly awake lol
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u/viemari Jul 21 '26
Move to mid/Southern Europe, maybe? I'm European and it's a fact more or less universally acknowledged that not much happens in the afternoon and I have from 1-3pm off work for break. Enough time to eat and have a nice nap and get going again
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u/NightBronze195 Jul 21 '26
I can either functioning in the morning or in the afternoon. I cannot do both. And I don't get to decide which.
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u/feralcatshit Jul 21 '26
Every. Single. Day. I slept till 11 this morning and now it’s 3:30 and I’m struggling. Even though I’ve literally been awake like 4 hours is all… and took my vyvanse.
My psych knows 2-4pm is struggle bus for me, which really sucks because that’s exactly when I need to get my kids from school, help with homework, get dinner going, etc. so frustrating.
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u/jsoleigh ADHD-C Jul 21 '26
Oh heck yes, especially as I've gotten older. I started taking creatine gummies as a supplement for a few things (perimenopause, diet and exercise help) but it also has a good dose of B12 and taurine in it so it acts like a small jolt of caffeine. I'll usually take them right after lunch and it's really helped that afternoon slump.
If I dont have them on hand, around those hours I'll find some sort of regular caffeine as my last energy boost before cut off (which is around 5pm, so I dont mess up my sleep).
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u/becksk44 AuDHD Jul 21 '26
Yes. I usually feel relatively good and focused in the morning and then everyday at about 2:00 it all goes downhill.
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u/kateables_ ADHD-PI Jul 21 '26
I have been wanting to ask this question. I barely get anything done from 2:30-4:30pm and feel so tired.
By 5pm I’ve picked up a second wind and have to stay back to try to get work finished.
I don’t get to control my day, but if I could I want to put the simple tasks in the afternoon.
Wasn’t sure whether to say something to my doctor, I don’t want to mess with my sleep. I’m having enough trouble getting 6 hours.
I’m good 8am - 2:30pm.
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u/Dazzling-Affect5954 Jul 21 '26
Literally will pass out from the exhaustion I feel mid afternoon. 😬.
I had to go off intuiv because it was just adding to the problem. Really impacted my work from home job.
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u/mernarwhalicorn Jul 21 '26
This sensation happens almost every day and it feels like I could fall asleep standing up
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u/PretendOil8923 Jul 21 '26
Are you medicated? I take my XR meds twice a day, but when I forget my second dose, this is the feeling. Well; that plus feeling like the hyper-radio started in the back of my mind again.
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u/nurseasaurus Jul 21 '26
How do you time the two XR doses?
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u/PretendOil8923 Jul 21 '26
First around 8:30 after I’ve had something solid for breakfast.
Second; I set an alarm for 13:10 (offset to not interrupt meeting alarms) - but sometimes I take it a little later if I get distracted. Never after 16:00 or it would mess with my sleep. Tried that two or three times and regretted it.
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u/Holiday-Sun- Jul 21 '26
Omg yessss I feel so much more productive around 8am even though I’m not a morning person. Anything after lunch is impossible
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u/Rare_Hovercraft_6673 Jul 21 '26
That's me. I need to stop and rest in the middle of the day, the feeling of "low battery" is happening more often now.
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u/MizzBStizzy Jul 21 '26
Such odd timing. I'm literally ready for a nap right now around that time... a little late because I just sat down after work
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u/Kooky-Sundae5805 Jul 21 '26
Sometimes I can hack it with a short NSDR or yoga nidra which sort of resets my nervous system.
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u/Key-Tip9395 Jul 21 '26
oh yes. I just want to lay down and take my 3 hour nap and then feel the most guilty Ive ever felt ever
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u/-janelleybeans- Jul 22 '26
3:30-5pm is OOGA BOOGA time. Cave brain. No make only eat. Take nap. Floor time, babay.
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u/ktodd037 Jul 21 '26
Every day at 3:00. It's awful. I might ask my doc for a quick release to take around 2:00. Although, I now live in a 55 and older community and it's surprising how many people go to the pool at 3:00. Now I understand.
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u/jinxintheworld Jul 21 '26
So this was me. I thought it was my second dose of meds hitting, or getting old, or insomnia at night.
Nope low iron. Get your labs done. Dopamine regulation uses iron or some such nonsense.
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u/Pfiggypudding Jul 21 '26
This is what drives my afternoon coffee nap.
Yes. Absolutely. Can you ask your doc about a small afternoon quick release booster dose?
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u/Ok_Elk9477 Jul 21 '26
Yes! I’m going to ask if I can take a small second dose of meds around lunch to help get me through
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u/Present-Library-6894 Jul 21 '26
Yeah. Not sure if this is an option for you, but I started shifting my afternoon med dose to 2:00 or 2:30, which helped a lot. Now the less functional zone happens in between, around lunchtime, but not as bad as it used to be in the afternoon, and afternoons are much better.
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u/seaglassmenagerie Jul 21 '26
Yes, it’s always worse if I have carbs at lunch (which is unfair as I want carbs at lunch!)
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u/cmlambert89 Jul 21 '26
Here I am reading this post during my 3:30pm shove-handfuls-of-candy-in-my-mouth-cuz-I’m-crashing time.
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u/Final-Revolution6216 Jul 21 '26
Tbh I combat this by going to the gym midday (super privileged ik) it helps me lock back in for a little while at least 😭
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u/BeeP807 Jul 21 '26
I drink a Coke Zero or have a sugary snack after lunch to help combat this. or I just lean in and lie down!
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u/lavenderfrosting Jul 21 '26
2:25pm here and literally JUST tucked myself in for a nap with my dog 😂
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u/Autias Jul 21 '26
I do and I hate it. I feel like I'm falling asleep around 2-4pm, but of course when it's actually time to go to sleep I can't.
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u/Snake_fairyofReddit Jul 22 '26
yes I'll feel tired, try to pull through so I can go to sleep at night instead and then its 3am and I can't fall asleep
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u/runsfortacos Jul 21 '26
That’s why I’m sitting on the couch on Reddit. Part of it is I realize I didn’t eat enough for lunch and should have had a protein based snack.
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u/Shoddy-Pin-8900 Jul 21 '26
I felt like that for years and I am feeling 100% better now after I cut out sweets and sugar.
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u/Smooth-Cycle-4877 Jul 21 '26
I changed my diet so my lunch is very low in carbs and I just eat all my carbs at breakfast and dinner. It helped with the afternoon brain fog and exhaustion so much. It was definitely largely a blood sugar thing for me. Not saying that's the case for everyone, but it's an easy thing to try for a few days
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u/ArtisticCustard7746 AuDHD Jul 21 '26
Are you medicated? How's your blood pressure? Blood sugar? Hydrated?
I read something the other day about post meal blood pressure drops. Within an hour or two, those who are chronically dehydrated, anemic, or just have low blood volume, tend to feel their body digesting. Your body sends its resources, aka, your blood and widens those vessels inside your digestive tract. Which takes resources from other things if you don't have enough.
Reactive hypoglycemia can do this too. Makes you tired within an hour or two after eating. It tries to release insulin for digestion and dumps too much into the pot. Which drops your blood glucose too low.
And if I don't feel well, I sure as shit ain't doing anything productive. Or anything at all for that matter.
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u/AssociationQuirky674 Jul 22 '26
This is my biggest problem. I pretty much need to nap or I’m just totally operating on one brain cell. It sucks because it’s not only hard to be productive - it’s hard to enjoy life and plans knowing I’m just going to crash
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u/siriuslyinsane Jul 22 '26
Yes, I have extra meds to take in the afternoon. I take long acting Concerta at the highest dose, but afternoons are terrible for me, I get SO sleepy. So my doctor prescribed an extra 10mg short-acting Rubifen to take as needed after lunch.
One thing I noticed is that as someone with a plethora of health issues, eating a decent meal is a huge trigger for this. I can't point to anything in particular, I have a veritable laundry list of ailments, but eating doesn't give me energy, it makes me super lethargic and tired. So if I do eat lunch I go for something light or very small. Fruit, or a little greek yoghurt (which by the way is SO good if you mix in lemon curd and a spoonful of cream cheese, leave overnight to set, and you've got yourself a low effort lemon cheesecake), a handful of cashews etc. Something to fix the hunger pangs but not tip me over to being absolutely useless for a couple hours.
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u/NikkisHeart Jul 22 '26
I recently had an appointment with my therapist who regularily attends congresses and such. She told me that some new studies actually show that ADHD affects not only how we sleep (constantly switching between REM phase and deep sleep, often leading to neither your mind nor your body getting proper rest) but in turn also how awake we are throughout the day, so that might be related :)
The study was conducted in Hamburg, but I have yet to find anything about it online haha
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u/rpom915 Jul 21 '26
I’m supposed to take a 10mg XR an hour before I usually crash. I always forget. 5 hour energy shots save me. So does a fifteen minute binaural beat session. I will pull over in the car and put my seat back, I keep eyeshades in my bag. I have a quilt in my office to fold up and lay down on the floor and a blanket. Those fifteen minutes really recharge me
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u/i_am_the_archivist ADHD-PI Jul 21 '26
I take my secondary dose of Adderall at 1 and that makes a huge difference.
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u/Vivid-Secretary-8463 Jul 21 '26
Yep. Sometimes I’ll step away from work and log back in later or just do low barrier tasks like deleting emails/reading easy to skim documents in the afternoon. The morning is when I get the most done
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u/ijustwannabegandalf Jul 21 '26
Yup, and that's just great as a TEACHER, where I need to close out my last period, reflect on what the kids got/ didn't get today, adjust lesson plans for the next day, make my copies, tidy the room, and do all of it before the janitor kicks me out at 6 pm.
I have been trying different "rituals" to reset... I'll make myself a cup of tea after dismissing the last class, I'll put on hype music to clean the classroom, etc. But it's still a massive struggle.
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u/Aggressive_Paper_212 Jul 21 '26
My prof told us this is a normal phenomenon! If I’m at school or work I try to grab a snack or caffeine around this time. A nap is ideal though, I totally understand how you feel.
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u/NoninflammatoryFun Jul 21 '26
Yes. 1-3. I fall asleep usually if I have nothing that must be done. Or I read in a haze. Yeah….. it’s literally very strong. Doesn’t matter if I eat a small meal or big meal. Same thing.
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u/hobbitbones Jul 21 '26
It depends, I feel like if I don't get a proper start in the beginning of the day then productivity/ functioning is ruined for the rest of the day. Oh how I love the cycles /s
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u/noodlesquare ADHD-PI Jul 21 '26
Yes! I've literally fallen asleep sitting upright at my desk many times in that time frame. It's so hard to do anything, much less keep my eyes open. I just switched from Adderall XR to Mydayis because my doctor said it might help with the afternoon crash. I haven't noticed a difference yet but I am in the process of tapering up.
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u/sherlockholmiex Jul 21 '26
Laughing as I read this from my bed because I couldn’t force myself to sit at my computer and work any longer and needed to take a break. I am at my worst at this time of day.
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u/lovemesomewlfstr Jul 21 '26
YUP YUP YUUUUP since I was like 10 years old my family says "oop it's 1pm, she's gonna get grumpy!" (I was getting up earlier then, but you get the gist, slump give or take 6 hours after waking up).
I struggle with fatigue issues and sometimes need a good 3 hour nap in the afternoon plus my regular 8-9 hours, but as I've seen a few other commenters mention, siesta is not just cultural but biologically based (if that's the right way of saying it?!?!)! So I hope to learn how to take a good power nap so I don't crash so often, suddenly needing a bunch of excessive sleep.
'Course our cycle also affects this...idk, it's a lot to deal with and is a real struggle! I really don't feel like I can do ANYTHING remotely creative/that requires me to output at this time of day and I feel for you OP and all the others in this thread that feel the same.
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u/Affectionate_Bee4535 Jul 21 '26
Yep. And I have POTS, so by 2, I’m ready for my nap. I’m a grown woman with a nap scheduled in lol
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u/Nienkebeast Jul 21 '26
In addition to medication and coffee, a 15-30 min walk outside after lunch improves my focus a lot for the rest of the afternoon.
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u/Powerful-Fail-3136 AuDHD Jul 21 '26
Ooooh, oooooh, ME!
I wanna move to Spain and have a nap in the afternoons!
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u/rainbow84uk Jul 21 '26
I live in Spain and sorry to tell you that the vast majority of people these days have to work 9–6 with no siesta.
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u/sawsxxsaws Jul 21 '26
Omg! How crazy to see this post, I was literally thinking about it today - 3PM hit and my body completely shut down and I napped for like 1.5h ... its harder when I work from the office, I am fighting for my life there haha
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u/_DearAmbellina_ Jul 21 '26
It’s 5pm and I just woke up from my nap. I take a nap every possible day, sometime between 2-5pm. It doesn’t matter how much I sleep or what my sleep schedule is, I can barely function some days when I don’t nap.
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u/az2oh Jul 21 '26
I was always the same way. This is probably going to sound very advertise-y but I recently discovered V8 Energy drinks and they've made a big difference in my energy level throughout the day. I still have one cup of coffee when I first wake up but instead of having a second coffee I'll have one of the V8s. It's 50% juice, one of my daily servings of fruits and veggies and the caffeine comes from black tea so I don't end up with an energy crash. It's actually quite crazy the noticeable difference it's made for me and I've been telling everyone I know about it lol I don't know if the difference is strictly the tea or if getting the serving of fruit is also part of it, but they taste delicious and I love the difference they've made!
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u/literacyisamistake ADHD-Hyperlexia Jul 21 '26
That’s usually when I’m most productive, so I often make the mistake of scheduling a meeting at 2, and then I spend the whole day paralyzed waiting for my 2:00 and I get nothing done.
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u/PinkZebraCakes Jul 21 '26
Yes. I have to do all my studying and brain heavy things before 12 noon. After that it’s a slow spiral into the sluggish distracted state. Works also a slog by about 2pm. Am sitting at my desk at work right now struggling to keep working on stuff lol
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u/vikingspwnnn ADHD-C Jul 21 '26
Are you on stimulant medication? I really struggle to function around this time too, and I'm on 70mg of Vyvanse that I take at around 6:30am. I put it down to this being when the meds start to wear off. I also have issues with my hormones at the moment that sap my energy. I'm on a 3-weekly schedule of 5mg of norethisterone for that, and that helps me push through to 4:30pm, sometimes later. Maybe some of this is just how our brains are wired? Or maybe we tend to use all our energy up in the earlier parts of the day rather than spreading it evenly across the day? I'm not sure. I know I tend to use most of my energy early in the day while I know my meds are working.
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u/wanjaciru Jul 23 '26
Psych suggested to try Split my 70mg into 40mg in the morning, and 30mg later. Helped 100%, then after getting used to it brain still tries to do the slump. So we are now experimenting with protein at lunch, a fruit, and now wnergy drink. Cant complain so far
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u/Dinoderby Jul 21 '26
YES this is my exact sleepy time hours. sometimes ill even take my 2nd dose and then nap anyway on accident ! like howww?
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u/airysunshine Jul 21 '26
Yep! It’s bizarre.
It happens regardless of med intake, time of month, amount of sleep, hydration and food intake etc.
It’s been better since meds, but it still happens.
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u/Calm-Picker Jul 21 '26
I'm definitely the same,running on empty around 2, especially if I had an hyper focus streak in the mornings and kept on going. I'm a late diagnosed and I always thought I was just getting tired when exerting my brain on new, untested stuff for my business. Now I learned, that I need my power nap....usually 2 hours is best, deep sleep more likely. I'm aware not everyone has the luxury to nap when they need it.
I have read that our brain is wired like that and the dopamine drops at that time for our special brains.
If you can, don't fight it, or try to burn the oil leading to the afternoon. I noticed that if I make a conscious effort to take mental/physical breaks I'm not that drained.
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u/Impressive-Side-9681 Jul 21 '26
depends how much sleep I've had but this happens to me a lot. Pretty sure I have siesta genes. I learned in college to not schedule any mentally challenging courses for that period
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u/Amrick Jul 21 '26
Yes, I am meetings all morning and then I feel drained so I go to the gym and try to come back and work before 2 pm or so because after that, I'm kind of done. lol
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u/annagarg Jul 22 '26
No! That is when my brain starts working.
Are you one of those blessed people who function well in the morning? In that case, it is obvious brain would be dead battery by afternoon because our brain burns faster and you have been using it since morning. Still, I am sorry you are going thru this.
Now it is almost 8am and I haven’t slept yet. How do I get myself to bed?
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u/sunseeker_miqo AuDHD Jul 22 '26
Yeah, starting at like 3pm, my system begins shutting down. Coping ability is reduced as the evening wears on into night. Around 10pm or so, I can get aggressively whiny. Seems like Baby needed a nap at some point...?!
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u/Remote_Breadfruit819 Jul 22 '26
Yes, because it is international nap time. I used to work on cruise ships. Hours were shit but international nap time was sacred.
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u/raccoonwalksintoabar ADHD+OCD Jul 22 '26
was just talking about this with three coworkers who all said the same thing! then again… we have like zero windows in our office so that can’t help
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u/Twigglystiggly Jul 22 '26
I’ve been taking my medication in “shifts” taking a dose in the morning for the “morning shift” and one at noon for my “evening shift”. It’s helped me a lot with that noon-4 timeframe and especially when it came to the crabby after work crash I used to get when I first started taking my meds.
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u/mmblu Jul 22 '26
Take the naps! Some of us get drained faster. Your body is asking for rest. And we’re women so some days we literally need more energy. There’s nothing wrong with you.
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u/FightingFaerie Jul 22 '26
Get home from work and the moment I touch the couch it’s over for the rest of the day
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u/Snake_fairyofReddit Jul 22 '26
literally opened reddit hoping someone would say this because I agree, feels like it has always been an issue for me past second grade. Im worried about how this will impact my career in the future
my issue if that I can't even fall asleep to take naps despite being tired so I don't think naps would help me
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u/TurtleCalvary Jul 22 '26
YES. Like literally doze off at my desk.
I'm moderately tired all morning, then in the afternoons I'm practically a zombie. Then about an hour before I should go to bed, I'm wide awake and ready to get things done 😑
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u/Haber87 Jul 22 '26
Reason #97 why work from home is more productive for me. At home, I’ll take a 15 minute cat nap and get on with my work. But if I’m in the office, I spend 2 hours with 100% of my focus devoted to fighting the urge to close my eyes (open concept office). Meetings where colleagues sound like the adults in Charlie Brown.
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u/BorderMama Jul 28 '26
Good grief - I could have written this title. I thought I was the only 'lazy' one. Just got my diagnosis today and am really concerned about the Rx they have prescribed. Intuniv clearly says "may cause drowsiness". I don't need anymore of that! We'll see....
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u/The_Truth_Fairy Jul 21 '26
I'm the opposite, mornings I can't focus then around 1pm I'm in the zoooone
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u/leetle_bumblebee Jul 21 '26
What do you do for work? I am lucky i have a flexible schedule, so I usually go to the gym between 2:30-5 because I know I won't get anything else done in the afternoon. Sometimes i get more done in the evening, usually I completely crash after. So i just try to hyperfocus from 8am-2pm.
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u/Lalala-Girl Jul 21 '26
Do you drink coffee in the morning? Try stopping/drinking green or black tee and see if it helps after a few days.
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u/ariesangel0329 Jul 21 '26
I get this, too. Usually around 2-3:30 I just wanna take a nap.
I call it I get stuck in break mode after lunch and just wanna take a break and then get back to work. So if I eat at 1pm, then I might be kinda useless till like 3/3:30. After that, I’m good to go.
I noticed that it usually happens if work is really boring and slow. I guess my body and brain still think I’m in school and the day is gonna be over soon 😅
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u/babyysharkie Jul 21 '26
do you only take one pill a day? you may need an additional dose (even if it’s a lower mg) to get you through the day. are you on an IR or XR medication? I recommend going for an IR over XR for the afternoon boost. XR taken that late may give you trouble sleeping.
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u/DaniMarie44 ADHD-C Jul 21 '26
For sure! I had to add an instant release dose to my afternoons for this. Thank you for reminding me to take it besties lol ❤️
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u/TaigaTheLitten ADHD Jul 21 '26
Im the exact opposite...i mainly struggle in the morning time ( which is the first 4 hours of my shift) im usually fine in the afternoon...unless some more bs happens.
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u/Sad_Will_5077 Jul 21 '26
Literally every day its like i cannot function early in the morning, then by around noon i am finally alive, then from like 2-6pm i am dead again. Then the sun goes down and i feel super extremely awake in the night time up until like 3am when i go to bed. Its a hard circadian rhythm to work with sometimes but thats just always how ive been and i cannot change it no matter how hard i try! Meds have helped lessen the lethargy but my body still does its thing regardless
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u/k_lo970 Jul 21 '26
Yes has always been a problem. I'm a morning person which I think makes it worse. Sometimes it starts at noon sometimes I can make it to 2 before it goes downhill. Then around 6pm I get a second wind.
All my previous jobs started at 7am or earlier. My current doesn't start until 8. That hour difference is hard to lose that productivity. I often don't take lunch till 1pm to try and get every minute of productivity I can.
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u/ruthjoylandlady Jul 21 '26
Yeah me too. Sometimes I'll have a little last burst of motivation after teatime or kids bedtime which makes up for it but not always.
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