Poll: When during the day do you have the most energy? That is when you are not in relapse, and not sick with the flu

I'm wondering if there is a pattern to the symptoms of people with ME depending upon when their peak level of energy occurs during the day. Hopefully, I'm posting this poll correctly.

 

My energy level peaks around 1-2pm...it's terrible 1st thing in the morning and drops around dinner time then picks up. I can feel quite wide awake at 11pm if I don't make a conscious effort to move around a bit in the day (I'm mild moderate). Think this is screwed up cortisol.

 

My energy levels peak after 6pm. I can go out and power walk for an hour and even climb stairs. This is providing I didn't overdo during the day and if I'm lucky was able to get a short nap to recharge.

 

I've selected that it's highest in the evening, this is true, for mental energy, if I have something to do that requires just brain, this is the time to attempt it. For physical, if I have the required mental energy to direct, it's within 2-3 hours of getting up. So a slight mismatch there.

 

At present I am usually most 'energetic' first thing in the morning (before breakfast) and in the evening. Maybe at time of cortisol peaks? Or maybe reflecting dark hours? It does vary a bit though.

 

Exactly the same for me, except that I'm moderate-severe and my cortisol test result is allegedly normal.

 

I have most energy early in the day, especially if I wake and get up slowly and budget it. On days when I manage that well I may have more energy again in the evening.

 

same here

 

How late is "late in the evening" and "dinnertime"?

 

Great question. I left out meal times because sometimes I'm wide awake at 3:00 a.m. and my day starts accordingly. On such days, I wouldn't fit within normal times for meals.

I presume most people would think of dinner time as fitting in somewhere between 4:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. But for me, there are days when I eat breakfast at 3:00 a.m. and I'm eating dinner at 2:00 p.m.

For some people there is the addition of a food component to the energy drop. Those of us who venture into hypoglycemia will get tired as we get hungry. In addition, those of us with low blood pressure, may feel even more tired after large meals due to blood being veered toward digestion, reducing the already low flow to other areas and systems.

For this poll, dinner time is anytime around when you normally would eat dinner.

 

I pick up after 12 p.m. until 4 - 5 p.m.. I'm tired after this, I have a small peak after dinner though on good days. This usually lasts couple of hours.

 

Thank you for explaining so well. I choose "Dinner time" as I start to feel better late afternoon but I don't actually need to eat either lunch or dinner to feel better - it's just a coincidence for me I think.

As an example I didn't eat any lunch today and am feeling a little sick through not eating (get a sick feeling on an empty stomach) but my strength and functioning has been on the up since 17:00 and it's 18:46 where I am now. I should be at my best until 10pm.

 

You know, it's strange because like most things with this illness, my answer to this question has varied over time. When I was at my worst (about 3 years ago), I would have said that I definitely had more energy in the evenings. Now, I have most energy in the mornings and how long that lasts is typically tied to how well I "ration" it throughout the day.

 

It takes me an hour or two in the morning to get going. Then I'm good until around 3 pm and then I start running out of steam for the day.

 

Other. Between 8am and 11am ... and then between 8pm and 11pm. Two mini-surges of energy.

Middle of the day, I get more and more useless.

 

I chose "other" because my illness never feels like a lack of energy. It feels like a lot of nasty sick symptoms. If there's a time of day when the symptoms seem to lift a bit, then its late evening, after 9pm.

 

Exactly!! But two surges are better than one!

 

My sleep cycle is pretty much inverted, so my body thinks evening is morning. I have the most energy in the evening. I head to the grocery store about 1/2 hour before it closes.

 

By any chance do you drink coffee in the am?