I'm Dr. Michael Bruce, the sleep doctor.

我是 Michael Bruce 睡眠醫生。

It happens right after lunch; you begin to feel sluggish, unproductive and exhausted, but there are still hours left before you can end your day and relax.

午飯後就會出現這種情況，你開始感到疲憊、無精打采、精疲力竭，但還有幾個小時才能結束一天的工作，放鬆一下。

You've hit the dreaded afternoon slump.

你遇到了可怕的午後低潮。

When faced with this fatigue, many people's first instinct is to reach out and grab for coffee or tea.

面對這種疲勞，許多人的第一反應是伸手去拿咖啡或茶。

But did you know there are ways to get through midday tiredness without the help of caffeine?

但是，你知道有什麼方法可以在沒有咖啡因的幫助下度過正午的疲憊嗎？

I'm going to share with you my favorite techniques for powering past that sluggish feeling and improving your alertness, focus and mood.

我將與你分享我最喜歡的技巧，幫助你克服疲憊感，提高警覺性、注意力和情緒。

But first, you may be wondering why do you feel tired in the afternoon in the first place?

但首先，你可能想知道，為什麼下午會感到疲倦？

It's actually because of an ebb and flow of energy driven by your circadian rhythm.

實際上，這是因為晝夜節律驅動著能量的起伏。

You are naturally inclined to feel more active at some parts of the day and tired at others as you progress through your sleep wake cycle.

隨著睡眠喚醒週期的延長，你會自然而然地在一天中的某些時段感到更活躍，而在其他時段則感到疲倦。

But even given the normal rise and fall of your circadian rhythm, you shouldn't need an afternoon cup of Joe to get you through the day.

但是，即使考慮到晝夜節律的正常起伏，你也不需要在下午喝杯咖啡來度過一天。

If you feel your energy levels dropping, try some of these suggestions instead.

如果你感覺精力下降，不妨試試以下建議。

Number one, eat healthy meals and snacks.

第一，要吃健康的飯菜和零食。

To have the energy you need to beat that afternoon slump,

為了要有戰勝午後低迷的能量，

you want to eat foods that are high in fiber, protein and healthy fat as well as fruits and vegetables.

要多吃富含纖維、蛋白質、健康脂肪以及水果和蔬菜的食物。

Avoid foods that are high in sugar or refined carbohydrates as they can spike your blood sugar and make the slump much worse.

避免食用高糖或精製碳水化合物的食物，因為它們會讓血糖飆升，使想睡覺的情況更加嚴重。

Number two, take a break.

第二，休息一下。

When you hit a roadblock that stops your progress, trying to power through can actually further harm your productivity.

當你遇到阻礙你前進的障礙時，試圖克服困難實際上會進一步損害你的工作效率。

Instead, take a short break to clear your head.

相反，休息片刻，讓頭腦清醒一下。

Number three, stay hydrated.

第三，保持水分充足。

One of the best ways to feel more awake is to drink plenty of water.

讓人感覺更清醒的最佳方法之一就是多喝水。

Dehydration tends to dull your mental capabilities.

脫水往往會使人精神遲鈍。

Number four, get some light exercise.

第四，做一些輕微的運動。

A little exercise can go a long way towards boosting your energy.

在家裡或辦公室做一點運動可以大大增強你的體力，

Stretching, walking, taking the stairs and doing a few jumping jacks or push ups can all be done at your home or office to increase blood flow and get you energized.

伸展運動、散步、走樓梯、做幾個跳繩或俯臥撐都可以增加血液流動，讓你精力充沛。

Also, you can take a short nap.

此外，你還可以小睡一會兒。

Now you'll have to use your best judgment here.

你必須做出最好的判斷。

Don't nap while you're on the clock if your company doesn't support it, but sometimes the extra rest can be the difference between finishing the day strong or struggling the rest of the way through it.

如果公司不讓，就不要在上班時午睡，但有時額外的休息時間可能會決定你是堅強地完成一天的工作，還是掙扎著度過剩下的時間。

Just don't nap for too long or too late in the day.

不要午睡太久或太晚才睡。

A short snooze of 25 minutes or less between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. is usually ideal.

在下午 1 點到 3 點之間小睡 25 分鐘或更短的時間會是最理想的。

If you're looking for a few other ways to push through when your energy is lagging, surprisingly, studies show that chew gum improves alertness.

如果你想在精力不濟時尋找一些其他方法來堅持下去的話，令人驚訝的是，研究表明，咀嚼口香糖能提振精神。

Also adjusting your posture helps too.

此外，調整姿勢也有幫助。

A straighter spine can help boost your stamina and reduce stress.

脊柱挺直有助於增強耐力和減輕壓力。

Believe it or not, you can also look at pictures of cute animals.

信不信由你，你還可以看看可愛的動物圖片。

I know it sounds crazy but a Japanese study found it to improve your mood and your productivity.

我知道這聽起來很瘋狂，但日本的一項研究發現，它能改善你的情緒，提高你的工作效率。

Listening to the right tunes is another great way to feel energized, plus it enhances both memory and focus.

聆聽合適的音樂是另一個讓人感到精力充沛的好方法。此外，它還能增強記憶力和專注力。

And so can getting some sun. Even a few minutes makes a major difference in your energy levels.

還有曬一些太陽，哪怕是幾分鐘，也會讓你的精力充沛程度大為改觀。

But like so many, prevention is the best cure.

但是，就像很多人說的那樣，預防是最好的治療，

Hard as it may seem, it's actually possible to prevent your afternoon slump by making a few tweaks in your daily routine.

儘管看起來很難，但其實，只要在日常生活中稍作調整，就有可能避免午後想睡覺的情況。

Follow a consistent bedtime schedule.

請遵守一個連貫的就寢時間表。

If you absolutely have to hit the snooze button in the morning, only do it once and don't linger in bed to prevent morning grogginess.

如果早上一定要賴床一下，請只按一次「貪睡按鈕」，不要一直賴在床上，以防早上昏昏沉沉。

Dedicate time in the evenings to your sleep hygiene by finishing your to do list, practicing some relaxation techniques and preparing for bed.

晚上專門花時間做睡眠衛生，完成你的待辦事項清單，練習一些放鬆技巧，準備上床睡覺。

And of course, exercise is not only great for your physical health, it helps with your sleep health as well.

當然，運動不僅有益於身體健康，還有助於睡眠健康。

Finally, many people who struggle to get a good night's rest, have an undiagnosed sleep disorder.

最後，很多人因為無法獲得良好的夜間休息而導致睡眠障礙，但卻沒有得到診斷，

Get tested and work with your health care professional to create a treatment plan that works for you.

請接受診斷，並與專業醫護人員一起制定適合你的治療計劃。

And by the way, if you do grab a cup of coffee in the afternoon, it's important that you know how much to have and the proper timing.

順便說一句，如果你下午真的想喝杯咖啡的話，知道該喝多少，以及適當的時機是很重要的。

We have a video with some of my tips for when to drink caffeine and most importantly, when to stop right here.

我們有一部影片，其中包含我的一些關於何時喝咖啡因的小撇步，最重要的是，何時不要喝。

This is Dr. Michael Bruce, the sleep doctor.

我是 Michael Bruce 醫生，睡眠醫生。

Wishing you sweet dreams.

祝你做個好夢。