Feeling sleepy at work may not be just tiredness

Everyone has had this situation: you’re at work and suddenly keeping your eyes open and concentration working seem like impossible tasks. Some people find it more difficult than others to stay awake during work or study hours, and there are several factors that lead to this difficulty.

The way each individual’s biological clock works influences this point, since some people feel more willing at night while, during the day, sleeping seems to be the most appropriate attitude (or, at least, the attitude requested by the body). ).

It is also important to pay attention to the type of food you have, especially in the morning and at lunchtime. Heavy or fatty foods require a lot of effort from the body to digest. Therefore, eating these foods helps to increase the feeling of sleep, especially after meals.

However, if you sleep well at night, exercise regularly, eat healthy, and still sleep attacks in the middle of work or class, the cause may not be your behavior, but the air in your room. environment you are in.

According to a study carried out by the State University of New York, in partnership with the University of California, and published by the Daily Mail, the large amount of carbon dioxide found in the air in work environments and classrooms may be responsible for the feeling of excessive sleep. That’s because this substance affects our ability to concentrate and even make decisions with clarity.

The research had the participation of 24 volunteers, who were instructed to perform some simple tasks involving concentration. They were to be carried out in three different environments. One of them had a CO2 concentration of 600 parts per million (ppm), in the second this rate was 1000 ppm and in the third it reached 2500 ppm. The results were clear: in the rooms with the highest concentration of CO2, the volunteers found it more difficult to carry out the proposed activities without yawning.

This is a very difficult problem to solve, since the main source of carbon dioxide is human respiration. Therefore, in places where many people live, it is natural that there is a high concentration of CO2. In general, this concentration can be two to eight times higher indoors than outdoors.

According to research, in an outdoor environment the concentration of carbon dioxide is around 380 ppm, while in work environments it reaches 1000 ppm. In classrooms the problem is even more serious and CO2 rates can reach 3000 ppm.

To resolve the issue, it is important to understand that the quantity and quality of ventilation are directly related to these numbers. In well-ventilated environments, with air circulation, the concentration of carbon dioxide decreases and, therefore, the feeling of drowsiness tends to decrease. It turns out that when we yawn, our body is trying to rebalance the relationship between oxygen and CO2 in the blood. Therefore, open windows or an air conditioner with clean filters may be the solution.

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only. They do not replace the advice and follow-up of doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, physical education professionals and other specialists.