You cannot wait to go home and hop into bed because you feel so sleepy. But then you look at your wristwatch — it’s just 9 o’clock in the morning!

Brewing yourself a cup of coffee is always an option, that is unless caffeine leaves you with anxiety, lightheadedness, palpitations and other unfavorable symptoms. But even if you have no issue with caffeine, experts say that having a cup of coffee is not always the best defense against sleepiness because it won’t take long before the instant alertness provided by coffee falters, leaving you heavy-eyed once again.

If you want to kick that sleepiness without glugging down coffee, reach for certain foods that are known to give you the dose of wakefulness that you need. They include:

Yogurt

Snacking on yogurt allows you to feel wide awake because it’s packed with protein, something that is hard to digest. As a result, your body will crank up your metabolism, and this leads to energy generation. Refrain from going for flavored yogurt because their sugar content will only leave you crashing afterwards.

Eggs

Just like yogurt, egg supplies your body with protein. Especially when paired with whole wheat products that supply your body with good carbs, you can say “bye-bye” to that sleepiness in a snap.

Oatmeal

Speaking of good carbs, you can get plenty of those from a bowl of oatmeal. But if you find this breakfast staple a bore to eat, you can make things interesting by topping it with fruit slices.

Nuts or Seeds

Feel free to top your oatmeal with nuts and seeds, too! Or you may simply enjoy a handful of them to kick that drowsy feeling you are having away. Almonds, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds — all of these help regulate your blood sugar levels, allowing you to enjoy stable energy throughout the day.

Apples

Sometimes, all you need to be awake is a supply of natural sugars. One of the best ways to obtain those is by munching on an apple. Clearly, it’s not just the doctor that an apple can make go away, but also excessive sleepiness.

Poultry

You may also consume chicken or turkey breast if having a cup of coffee is not an option. And if your daytimes sleepiness is paired with stress, then it is indeed a wonderful idea for you to eat lean poultry — tryptophan, which is an amino acid, present in chicken or turkey helps reduce stress and makes you feel good, too.

Leafy Vegetables

Finally, you may get your hands on leafy green vegetables to obtain B vitamins, which are nutrients that can leave you feeling alert and energetic because they convert food into energy.

If you have a go-to healthy food each time you are feeling sleepy, feel free to share it in the comments section below!

And do you have family and friends who constantly complain that they feel sleepy but cannot have coffee because it does more harm than good? Let them know about the above sleepiness-fighting foods by reposting this online!