Many people feel sleepy after eating. This can be a natural result of digestion patterns and sleep cycles.
Some types of foods and the timing of meals can also make people feel especially tired after a meal. A decrease in energy levels after eating is called postprandial somnolence.
Researchers have different theories about the cause of tiredness after eating, but they generally agree that it is a natural response and not usually a cause for concern.
Feeling tired, or having difficulty concentrating, after a meal is relatively common. A person may feel particularly tired, depending on what, when, and how much they ate.
Below, we discuss some reasons why a person might feel tired after a meal, and how to prevent it.
Foods rich in protein and carbohydrates can make people feel sleepier than other foods.
Some researchers believe that a person feels tired after eating because their body is producing more serotonin.
Serotonin is a chemical that plays a role in regulating mood and sleep cycles.
An amino acid called tryptophan, which occurs in many protein-rich foods, helps the body produce serotonin. Carbohydrates help the body absorb tryptophan.
For these reasons, eating a meal rich in both protein and carbohydrates may make a person feel sleepy.
Tryptophan occurs in foods that are rich in protein. These include:
Foods that contain high levels of carbohydrates include:
People often eat a combination of protein and carbohydrates before bed, such as cereal with milk.
A person may be likelier to experience postprandial somnolence after a large meal.
People who eat larger lunches may experience more of an afternoon slump than those who eat less at midday. Eating causes blood sugar to rise, and a dip in energy may follow.
Other factors can contribute to tiredness after eating:
Share on PinterestGetting enough high-quality sleep can help prevent tiredness after eating.
Feeling tired after a meal can be frustrating, especially after lunch, when a person may need to be alert.
A drop in energy during the day can be particularly dangerous for people who work in risky conditions, such as those who operate machinery or vehicles.
A 2017 study of the effects of eating on the performance of night shift workers found that those who ate at night performed worse and were more sleepy at 4 a.
m. than those who had not eaten.
The following strategies can help prevent tiredness after a meal:
If a person is continually tired after eating, and it is affecting their quality of life, they should speak to a doctor.
The following medical conditions could contribute to excessive tiredness after eating:
Many people experience a dip in energy after eating. Large meals and meals rich in protein and carbohydrates are most likely to make people feel sleepy.
In most cases, a dip in energy after eating is a natural biological response.
However, if this is getting in the way of daily activities, a person may benefit from changing the contents and timing of their meals. If these types of changes do not help, see a doctor.
Feeling tired after eating
We’ve all felt it — that drowsy feeling that sneaks in after a meal. You’re full and relaxed and struggling to keep your eyes open. Why are meals so often followed by a sudden urge to take a nap, and should you be concerned about it?
In general, a little bit of sleepiness after eating is completely normal and nothing to worry about.
There are several factors that contribute to this post-meal phenomenon, and there are a few things you might be able to do to minimize those drowsy effects.
Your body needs energy to function—not just to run after your dog or put in time at the gym—but to breathe and simply exist. We get this energy from our food.
Food is broken down into fuel (glucose) by our digestive system. Macronutrients such as protein then provide calories (energy) to our bodies. More than just changing food into energy, our digestive cycle triggers all kinds of responses within our body.
Hormones such as cholecystokinin (CCK), glucagon, and amylin are released to increase a feeling of fullness (satiety), blood sugar rises, and insulin is produced to allow this sugar to go from the blood and into the cells, where it’s used for energy.
Interestingly, there are also hormones that can lead to drowsiness if increased levels are found in the brain. One such hormone is serotonin. The other hormone that induces sleep, melatonin, isn’t released in response to eating.
However, food can influence melatonin production.
Though all foods are digested in much the same manner, not all foods affect your body in the same way. Some foods can make you sleepier than others.
The amino acid tryptophan is found in turkey and other high-protein foods such as:
Tryptophan is used by the body to create serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep. It’s possible that increased production of serotonin is responsible for that post-meal haze.
In the United States, tryptophan is perhaps more closely associated with turkey than any other food. This is likely a result of the sleepiness sometimes associated with consuming a turkey-centric meal, as is traditional for many on Thanksgiving.
However, turkey doesn’t contain a high level of tryptophan when compared to many other common foods. Post-Thanksgiving dinner sleepiness is more likely related to other factors, such as the volume of food or the quantity of alcohol or simple carbohydrates consumed.
See how the amount of tryptophan in turkey stacks up against some other foods, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA nutrient lists also show that tryptophan amounts for certain foods can vary depending on how they’re prepared or cooked.
According to the National Academy of Sciences, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of tryptophan per day for an adult is 5 milligrams (mg) per 1 kilogram (kg) of body weight. For an adult weighing 150 pounds (68 kg), that translates to about 340 mg (or 0.34 g) per day.
Cherries affect melatonin levels, carbohydrates cause a spike and subsequent fall in blood sugar, and the minerals in bananas relax your muscles. Any one of these factors could leave you sleepy and many foods can impact energy levels in different ways.
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It’s no surprise that not getting enough quality sleep can affect how you feel after a meal, too. If you’re relaxed and full, your body may feel more like resting, especially if you didn’t get enough sleep the night before.
The Mayo Clinic suggests sticking to a regular sleep schedule, limiting stress, and including exercise as part of your daily routine to help you get a better night’s sleep.
Though they also recommend avoiding midday naps if you have trouble getting a good night’s sleep, at least one study found a post-lunch nap to improve alertness and both mental and physical performance.
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Beyond helping you sleep better at night, exercise can keep you alert during the day, minimizing the risk of a post-meal slump. Multiple studies have found that regular exercise helps increase energy and reduce fatigue.
In other words, being sedentary doesn’t create some sort of energy reserve that you can tap into at will. Instead, being active helps ensure that you have the energy to push through your days.
On rare occasions, being tired after a meal or simply sleepy all the time could be a sign of another health problem. Conditions that can make post-meal drowsiness worse include:
If you’re frequently tired and have one of these conditions, talk to your doctor about possible solutions.
If you’re unaware of an underlying medical condition but have other symptoms in addition to post-meal sleepiness, your doctor can help you identify what’s causing the slump.
If someone with prediabetes or Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes feels tired after eating, it could be a symptom of hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia.
Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) may occur when too many sugars are consumed. It’s made worse if there’s inefficient or insufficient insulin to transport sugars to the cells for energy.
Sugars are the cells’ main source of energy, which explains why inefficient or insufficient insulin may leave you feeling tired. Other symptoms associated with hyperglycemia may include increased urination and thirst.
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) may occur due to consuming simple carbohydrates that are quickly digestible. These carbohydrates can make blood sugar levels spike and then crash in a short amount of time.
Hypoglycemia can also occur in someone with diabetes who has taken more insulin or other diabetes-specific medication than needed based on the foods they consumed.
Sleepiness can be one primary symptom of hypoglycemia, along with:
Both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia are serious medical conditions, especially for people with diabetes. They should be treated immediately as directed by your doctor.
An intolerance of or an allergy to certain foods can be another cause of post-meal tiredness. Food intolerances and allergies can impact digestion or other bodily functions.
Other acute or chronic symptoms may also be present, including gastrointestinal upset, skin conditions, and headache or migraine.
If you find you’re feeling tired after meals, consider keeping a food diary. It can be a simple and helpful way to start identifying whether there are particular foods and ingredients, or other triggers, that may be having an impact on your energy levels.
A food diary, even if you only keep one for a few weeks, should include a record of everything you eat and drink.
You should detail when you consume a food or beverage as well as how much. Also take notes on how you feel. Pay attention to your:
Write down any and all other symptoms. You may be able to draw some connections between your diet and how you feel, either on your own or with the help of a healthcare professional.
It’s always a good idea to discuss your diet with your healthcare provider, especially if you often feel tired after meals. Different diagnostic tests are available to help them find the root cause of your fatigue, including:
They may also suggest an elimination diet.
Your healthcare provider can determine whether or not testing is necessary for a diagnosis and, if so, what tests are most appropriate.
Regularly feeling tired after eating is something to discuss with your doctor. However, if the possibility of a more serious underlying condition has been ruled out or the fatigue only sets in occasionally, there are simple steps you can take to help maintain optimal energy levels.
Dietary and lifestyle habits that may help boost or sustain energy levels and counteract drowsiness include:
A balanced diet that includes foods such as vegetables, whole grains, and fatty fish promotes sustained energy. Try to incorporate more nuts, seeds, and olive oil into your meals.
Avoiding too much sugar and eating smaller, more frequent meals can also help.
If you feel tired after a meal, there’s a good chance it’s just your body responding to all of the biochemical changes caused by digestion. In other words, it’s completely normal.
However, if the symptom is disruptive or changing your lifestyle habits doesn’t seem to help, it might not hurt to talk to your doctor or to seek help from a dietitian.
Food seems to be a source of energy, but why does it make you sleepy after a hearty meal? We figured out this mystery of nature and even discovered ways to stay alert all day long.
therapist, medical expert of the Challenger
- Drowsiness that occurs after eating may be the result of the work of the nervous system. We are talking about its vegetative part: the one that imperceptibly for us regulates the work of the whole organism.
It consists of two components: the sympathetic and parasympathetic parts of the nervous system. Sympathetic activates muscles, improves reaction - in all its glory, its work can be seen in runners standing at the start, or in a person who was suddenly scared and stressed by something. The parasympathetic nervous system, on the contrary, relaxes the muscles, slows down the heartbeat, and as a result, the person calms down.
So, after eating, the action of the parasympathetic nervous system reflexively dominates in a person. This makes sense: under its influence, the blood supply to the muscles decreases somewhat, but the blood rushes to the digestive tract - the food eaten needs to be absorbed somehow, and for this the organs involved must receive more blood. In other words, our body cannot simultaneously be in tension and digest food normally, so it has to choose one thing. So immediately after eating, the body experiences a strong influence of the parasympathetic nervous system - this allows it to digest food.
And in order to protect you from possible stress (after all, when it occurs, you will have to activate the sympathetic nervous system, which does not contribute to digestion at all), your brain gives you a feeling of relaxation and peace, along with a desire to take a short nap. This is especially noticeable after a heavy meal.
However, this is just one of the theories. Drowsiness after eating can also occur for other reasons. There are new studies that reveal the role of blood glucose levels in this process and the associated production of the neurohormone orexin. A certain role is played by chronic lack of sleep, which often occurs in residents of large cities. Under these conditions, the body tries to snatch as much sleep as possible, and the time when a person has eaten and is relaxed is great for this.
And here are the very reasons, eliminating which, you will return your energy and lightness.
Perhaps this is the most common cause of drowsiness after eating.
We have already discussed why blood sugar is one of the most important indicators of health to control.
Glucose in the human body is the result of the breakdown of carbohydrates. Along with fats and proteins, carbohydrates are needed by the body in large quantities. And it is carbohydrates that are responsible for energy levels. But if you think that the more Bolognese you eat, the more cheerful you will be, you are mistaken.
According to the chemical composition, carbohydrates are divided into simple and complex. The rate of assimilation and, as a result, the impact on the human body depends on their structure.
Simple carbohydrates or simple sugars are those that, after being ingested, do not need additional breakdown and are quickly absorbed. Many people know them as fast carbohydrates: they instantly release the sugar they contain and provoke a sharp jump in energy. Complex, or slow, carbohydrates work differently. Due to their molecular structure, their breakdown is slower, and glucose enters the blood evenly.
To stay productive after dinner, it is definitely better to eat something with a lot of fiber for lunch - it prevents sharp spikes in blood sugar levels. These are all products from whole grain flour, buckwheat, brown rice, bulgur, hercules, lentils, vegetable soup, avocado, lettuce.
Foods with a high glycemic index will give you energy for the first half an hour after eating, but later your blood sugar level will plummet. And because of this, you always tend to sleep.
Large portions create a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, and this makes you want to lie down and digest food. The body simply gets tired of processing hundreds of extra calories.
Overeating is usually the result of a prolonged feeling of hunger, and regular meals help you avoid this. In addition, observing the intervals between meals allows you to maintain sugar levels at the same level.
Therefore, portion control is important not only for those who want to lose weight, but also for those who want to feel light throughout the day.
The optimal diet is a strictly individual matter. But if you tend to overeat due to extreme hunger, you can try scheduling meals every two to three hours. Make sure you always have vegetables on your plate. Firstly, it will help you get full much faster, and secondly, the presence of vegetables will have the most positive effect on the absorption of food.
Maintaining water balance is one of the most important things in life, because a person’s well-being, the work of the brain and other vital organs, and appearance depend on the level of hydration.
Water is needed to regulate blood volume, which affects blood pressure and heart rate. When dehydrated, blood pressure drops and the pulse becomes weak, so when the body becomes dehydrated, symptoms include dizziness, fatigue, and lethargy.
In general, a glass of water before and after dinner is quite capable of returning a person to working capacity even in a siesta.
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Almost every person after eating, regardless of the time of day, may feel the desire to lie down and take a nap. But why do you want to sleep after eating and should you start worrying?
The human body needs energy both to engage in active physical or mental work, and to function in a state of calm. We get this energy from food, but why do you feel sleepy after dinner and why is it so difficult to return to work?
Scientists explain this state by several theories.
The most logical and generally accepted is that after eating, blood circulation changes: blood flow to the stomach, small and large intestine increases, and to the brain decreases. The brain begins to receive less oxygen and nutrients, so there is a desire to rest.
This condition is seen not only in humans, but also in animals. After several studies, it has been confirmed that most living creatures, including insects, snakes and rats, after eating, are drawn to sleep. This reaction is called food coma or postprandial drowsiness.
However, not all foods cause the same strong desire to take a nap after eating them. In addition, there are other factors why after eating there is weakness and you want to sleep.
If every time a strong desire to sleep arose after a meal, no one would be able to actively work and engage in various activities. It follows that certain foods cause drowsiness more than others.
The hormonal system is connected with the digestive system. The hormones glucagon, aniline, and cholecystokinin (CCK) are released to increase satiety, sugar levels, and insulin production.
There are also hormones that cause drowsiness if their levels in the body rise. These include serotonin and melatonin. Food products can affect the production of these biologically active substances, especially serotonin.
Protein food contains the amino acid tryptophan . It is used by the body during the synthesis of serotonin (a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep). The reason for the desire to sleep after eating may be an increased intake of food, which includes tryptophan.
Main products containing the amino acid in question:
The amount of this substance in food can vary depending on the way it is processed and prepared.
Carbohydrates help the body absorb tryptophan, so foods rich in protein and carbohydrates may increase the likelihood of a desire to sleep after eating.
Some studies show that cherries affect melatonin levels, that is, they can increase it, and the minerals contained in bananas help relax muscles. However, these scientific experiments were few and repeated studies on a larger sample of people are required.
Weakness and drowsiness after meals can be affected by the amount of food consumed.
Eating a large amount of food at a time can not only provoke a desire to sleep, but also adversely affect health.
When a person overeats, the level of glucose in his body increases, which inhibits the functioning of orexin (a neuropeptide). Orexin is responsible for wakefulness and controls energy balance.
Large and extra portions contribute to the appearance of heaviness in the stomach, which after eating makes it difficult to return to the active performance of daily work. Overeating leads to the appearance of excess weight, and also provokes deviations in health from the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular and endocrine systems.
To prevent this from happening, you need to normalize your diet: do not eat a large amount of food at one time and refuse large portions.
Unfortunately, the feeling of drowsiness can still occur due to health problems.
The presence of certain diseases in a person can adversely affect the digestive tract and provoke bouts of drowsiness after breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Diseases that can cause sleepiness after eating:
If you often have a desire to rest after eating, you start to feel unwell and you have one of the listed diseases, then you need to see a doctor.
Drowsiness after eating may be the result of poor sleep quality. If a person does not get enough sleep and feels weak, a desire to rest, then eating even a small amount of food can lead to increased drowsiness. Blood flow to the stomach increases, and on the contrary, less oxygen and nutrients enter the brain, so you start to want to sleep even more.
Going to bed at the same time every day and resting for at least 8 hours a day can reduce the chance of sleepiness after meals.
But what other tips do you need to follow to stay awake after breakfast, lunch and dinner, and after any snack?
Medical experts give you plenty of advice on how to stay active and energized after meals.
Consider 5 main ones:
The simplest exercise in the morning can be the key to cheerfulness and well-being for the whole day. During exercise, blood circulation is activated and cells receive more oxygen. If you lead a passive lifestyle, having a sedentary job, then after eating there may often be a desire to rest. 
Watch your diet and lead an active lifestyle, then the risk of sleepiness after eating will be minimal.
Some food products not only do not cause drowsiness, but are also very useful for humans. These are foods rich in vitamins. Read about 5 vitamins to take in the spring for strong immunity.
If you find it difficult to get up in the morning, but it is necessary, then here are 5 effective tips on how to become an "early bird". Read the new article on how to learn to get up early.
Learn more about health at apteka24.ua.
Correlation between nighttime meals, sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness in severely obese people in the UK / PubMed
Prudent diet is associated with low sleepiness among short-haul truck drivers / ScienceDirect
Why Do You Get Sleepy After Eating? These Are the Top Theories / TIME
Why Do I Feel Tired After Eating? / Healthline
Why do people feel tired after eating? / MedicalNewsToday
Why do we feel sleepy after eating a meal / TheJakartaPost
Sleepiness After Eating Lunch / VeryWellHealth
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