I have a problem that I'm sure alot of people have. I get very tired in middle of the day. Recently I changed my breakfast from toast yo 2eggs and a fruit and it made a big difference in my first seder. Any suggestions out there of how I can control my tiredness

a good half hour nap can do wonders

Not staying awake until the early hours studying also seems to help...

believe it or not, I realy don't have time to nap during the day. When I'm not in B.M. I have alot of other things I need to do (like carpools, taking care of the baby etc.) . I also get to bed most nights before 11:30 (it's the waking at 5:40 that kills me ).
I was wondering if anybody knew of anything more like diet and lifestyle changes that might help

according to rambam mint leaves combat tiredness, I find when I am lacking mitzvot my soul is not rejuvenated and therefore my body becomes tired, Also when I change my topic of study my soul becomes aroused once again.

your sleeping habits as well mat contribute to your tiredness, It is said that the Yetzah hara is at it strongest between nitefall and midnite, I also found that when I slept at between nitefall and midnite my soul would be rejuvenated till the next nitefall, I know that this is not easy but if you try it let me know please how you feel after a day or two!

I don't have the opertunity to go to sleep by nightfall. Besides missing T'filah and Krias shma, I'm still required to be in B.M. at night. Definitly during the winter I can't leave in middle of the day to go to sleep.

In Tehillim Koof Chet David sings "I will awaken the dawn with nevel and kinnor". I know that we as Jews are still under the exile of Edom and that also being the ways of "Seir" According to Gemara even before we were exiled we learnt the ways of Seir. That was the cause of our destruction and until we are freed from his calendar and his clock we will be tired and He Edom will be awake. The only way I know to do this and keep with the flow is to start a Torah camp that is contrary to the clock of Edom. In where we labor in the Torah on the clock of Israel , I believe if all of Israel would awaken the dawn the oppression of this long exile would end G-d please soon!!!!
It also is sung in the same Tehillim Koof Chet ,David says "I will throw my shoe at edom" which to me indicates that he will no longer walk in the ways of Edom. I remember about 6 years back I had to leave Israel and I asked Rabbi Ackerman of Har Tzion to please give words that will help me in Chutzlaaretz and he said ' Pure speech Pure thoughts and Pure actions' I truly yearn to see the day G-d willing in where we 'Israel' can live this way.
I recently left Safed and am now in newyorkcity and the Yetzah hara is literally overwhelming me , I am tired as well , very tired, but I do recall the days in the hills of Israel being so awake in where I would close my eyes for just a moment and I would be rejuvenated , but as we all know as Jews we are still in exile and constantly forced to move on somewhere else in the land or in the world and this has worn us down. When I return my friends and I will begin this torah camp in the Shtocheem , we have a place where we will do it where there are plenty of natural mikvahs and lots of land to grow wheat and there we hope with G-ds help to make a Torah camp .

Yep.. it's a tired old world...

Rav Chaim:

This is a medical way of addressing your problem. Many people eat a midday meal and experience a sleepy state following. This is usually due to more calories, especially of simple carbohydrates, than is necessary. Mint tea is also good (as has been before suggested) along with fruits and maybe a couple slices of bread. In short, make that midday meal small and include fruit and a little bread and that should help. (The cause of the problem is (1) shunting of blood to the digestive system to aid in absorption of food, and (2) change in pancreatic excretion of insulin in response to blood sugar levels.) The other possible problem is eye strain and inability of the brain to transfer additional data from mid/short to long-term memory. Take a break of 5 to 10 minutes every hour to walk and 'clear the head' and subsequent studying will be much more effective (tip from medical student studying). Good luck.

I appreciate the advice. (just wouldn't the bread be also extra carbs?, I stopped eating bread for breakfast since it also seemed to bog me down.) Also, since there is around 5-6 hours from lunch to supper, how do I keep from being hungry (unless the only thing is to eat small snacks during the afternoon, that maybe inconvienent, but if I have to I have to.

I don't think it's my eyes, because when I'm well rested, I can go a long time without a break (but the times I'm well rested is far and few between). Looking foward for your advice.

Rav Chaim,

According to the Rambam, it is our duty to take good care of our body: it is given to us by God. In addition to what Pat Moshe Moore recommended, try to eat less, but more frequently; lots of raw vegetables; fish rather than meat; avoid mixing starchy foods with proteins (like eating meat at the same time with potatoes or corn). Meats are best served with lettuce or any other green vegetables, whereas cheeses are best served with tomatoes. You may find out that cheeses, too, are bogging you down. Try to switch over to goat cheese: it has a different set of proteins than regular cowmilk cheese.

Melons are an excellent snack, but they do not go well with other food types, whereas watermelons are perfect as an after-lunch desert with any food: they would not be as heavy as a regular desert and will quickly absorb the toxins. Teas, especially green teas, are known to carry a lot of energy; but you have to steep them correctly.

And please make it one of your a priorities to exercise - even a light jog for 25-30 minutes will do wonders and charge you up for the day. When exercising, keep in mind that in the average person, the first 18 minutes is what is needed just to get your blood going at the right flow rates, and after that starts the burning out of the fat which also contributes to impeding our alertness, slowing us down and causing us to fall asleep.

However, you also have to keep in mind that if you have knee or hip problems, then jogging may not be the right option for you (like in my case). In this case, walking for 45-60 minutes, or riding a bicycle, or rollerblading for the same 25-30 minutes will have the same effect. Swimming may not be an option, considering your busy schedule, but next to cross-country skiing, it is the best all-body exercise.

Again, let me quote Rambam - although not verbatim: the optimum condition for every human being is to be in balance. Actually, rather than quoting, if I may, I would recommend Rambam's work on Ethics, where he describes the most appropriate eating / exercising / working habits.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Alex,

Hi everyone,

This is my first post. I was obviously intrigued with this particular topic. It is so applicable to my life.

I like the advice that has been posted on this topic. One particular problem that I have is that no matter how long I stay asleep or how short, I never feel properly rested. I wake up in the night occasionally, but I don't usually remember this. Also I tend to be anxious upon rising with a sore jaw, likely from clenching overnight. If I could find a good source on how to obtain peace in my sleep, I would be very grateful. Does Rambam have anything to say on this?

I would really love to wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvinated. It hasn't happened for many years.

-Jon

BS"D
Coffee can speed the heart rate and can give someone a quick boost. Ulitmately it can tire you down in the long run. Same with soft drinks - best thing to drink is water. May help a bit as far as diet goes. As well, if you are not planning on staying awake late at night for any reason, it's better to eat a larger meal at night rather than for lunch. (It should be eaten at least 3 hours before going to sleep so acid reflux won't develop.)

BS"D
jlefman, do you by any chance say Krias Shema before bed?

Yes, of course. Always Krias shema before bed. Guess I'm a spacey person. I'm not much of a coffee drinker. It doesn't do that much for me anyway.