If you re still feeling draggy in the afternoon after a few days consider investing in a light therapy box which can counteract your brain s inclination to start producing melatonin when the sun goes down. Just be sure to look for one that provides alertness promoting blue light. Blue light mimics sunlight and tells the brain to stop producing melatonin the chemical that starts your brain s sleep engine Breus explains.
If you need a little burst to get over that 4pm hump at work click on the light and let it shine for no more than 20 minutes. That amount should be enough to make you feel more alert for a couple hours Breus explains. If you want to get to bed at a reasonable hour be sure not to use the light after 7pm any later than that can interfere with your sleep.
Breus likes the Philips goLITE BLU ($137 amazon.com) but Amazon has a range of light therapy box styles and sizes. Don t want to buy another gadget Definity Digital by LightingScience makes alertness promoting bulbs you can install in most household fixtures ($70 amazon.com).
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This article originally appeared on Health.com.
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