Sleepy after eating If you’ve ever felt the urge to take a nap after a big holiday meal, fought off drowsiness while driving home from a restaurant, or fallen asleep during a post-lunch meeting or class, you’ve experienced a common phenomenon known as postprandial somnolence.

Post-meal drowsiness is the result of a combination of bodily processes ufabet https://ufabet999.app and behaviors. And while you can’t avoid it completely, you can take steps to reduce it.

What is postprandial drowsiness?

Postprandial somnolence is the scientific term use to describe the feeling of drowsiness that occurs after eating. This phenomenon is particularly common in the early afternoon. During what is known as the post-lunch dip. Studies have uncovered several biological processes that contribute to post-meal somnolence, including:

• Circadian rhythms: Circadian rhythms are natural fluctuations in body temperature, hormones, metabolism, and other physiological processes that operate on a 24-hour clock. Circadian signals that promote alertness tend to decline in the early afternoon, which can lead to post-lunch drowsiness.
• Sleep drive: The longer you’re awake, the greater your need to sleep, known as your sleep drive. So you’re more likely to feel sleepy after an afternoon or evening meal than after breakfast.
• Reduced brain activity: Brain activity and cognitive functioning appear to slow after meals, which may contribute to drowsiness.
• Hormonal changes: Diet promotes a decrease in hormones that maintain alertness and an increase in hormones that promote drowsiness, including melatonin and serotonin.
• Cytokines: Cytokines are proteins that play a key role in the body’s immune and inflammatory responses, and have also been linked to feelings of fatigue when levels fluctuate. The concentrations of certain cytokines in your body increase after you eat, especially if you consume high-calorie foods.

Scientists theorize that post-meal drowsiness may serve several possible functions, including helping the body allocate resources to digestion and conserving energy.

What foods might make you sleepy?

Eating isn’t the only cause of post-meal grogginess. In fact, you may still experience post-lunch grogginess even if you skip lunch. However, research suggests that you’re more likely to feel fatigued after eating certain foods than others.

• High-fat foods: Foods that are high in fat can make you feel tired. In addition, foods that are too fatty can have a negative effect on your nighttime sleep, making you more sleepy during the day. Avoid foods that are high in fat, especially saturated fat, such as fried foods, pastries, pizza, French fries, and processed meats.
• High-carbohydrate foods: High-carbohydrate foods tend to make you feel more drowsy than low-carb foods. Avoid foods and drinks that are high in sugar and processed starches, such as desserts, fruit juices, and white bread. These can cause your blood sugar to spike quickly, increasing your risk of fatigue.
• You may have heard that foods high in the amino acid tryptophan, such as turkey, make you sleepy. Tryptophan is converted in the body to melatonin and serotonin, hormones that increase sleepiness. However, tryptophan alone isn’t the cause of the grogginess many people feel after a big holiday meal. Eating “heavy” foods that are high in calories from both fat and carbohydrates is the recipe for post-meal grogginess.