Why do I feel sleepy after eating? - Live Science

Which foods make people most sleepy? How to avoid feeling sleepy after eating. Few things are as irresistible as slumber's post-lunch siren ... Skiptomaincontent LiveScience LiveScience Search Subscribe RSS (opensinnewtab) (opensinnewtab) (opensinnewtab) (opensinnewtab) HowItWorksMagazine(opensinnewtab)(opensinnewtab)Whysubscribe?Theultimateaction-packedscienceandtechnologymagazineburstingwithexcitinginformationabouttheuniverseEngagingarticles,amazingillustrations&exclusiveinterviewsIssuesdeliveredstraighttoyourdoorordeviceFrom$3.99(opensinnewtab)View(opensinnewtab) News Space&Physics Health PlanetEarth StrangeNews Animals History Forums More Forums Tech Culture Reference AboutUs Magazinesubscriptions TrendingUFOsoverUkraine?PregnancytipsGiantsunfishBlackholesCOVID-19 LiveScienceissupportedbyitsaudience.Whenyoupurchasethroughlinksonoursite,wemayearnanaffiliatecommission.Here’swhyyoucantrustus. (Imagecredit:Getty) Jumpto: Whichfoodsmakepeoplemostsleepy? Howtoavoidfeelingsleepyaftereating Fewthingsareasirresistibleasslumber'spost-lunchsirencall,butwhydowefeelsleepyaftereating?Afterall,foodisanenergysource,notanenergysapper—right?Unfortunately,thehumanbodyisn'tthatsimple,withacornucopiaoffactorscomingintoplaytodeterminehowtiredapersonfeels. "Whenweeatameal,itspursaseriesofactionsinthegutandacrossthebody,"ClaireShortt,anutritionistwithabackgroundinmicrobiology,toldLiveScience. ThisanswerisprovidedbyThisanswerisprovidedbyClaireShorttNutritionistandleadscientistforFoodMarbleClaireShorttisanutritionistandleadscientistforhealthtechnologycompanyFoodMarble(opensinnewtab).Shehasabackgroundinmicrobiology,withadegreeinthesubjectfromUniversityCollegeDublinandaPhDfromthesameinstitutionininfectionbiology. AccordingtoShortt,undulatingbloodsugar(opensinnewtab)levelsmaybeoneofthecontributingfactorstothesleepyfeelingweexperienceafterfood."Whenweeathigh-sugarfoodsitcancauseourbloodsugartoriseandthenfallquickly,"sheexplained.Theresultingcrashcanleadtosuddentiredness.However,thisisn'ttheonlythingtoconsiderwhentryingtoavoida3p.m.slump,asourhormoneshavearoletoplaytoo.Aftereating,wecansometimesseeaspikeintheproductionandreleaseofserotonin.Althoughthisiscolloquiallyknownasthe'feelgoodhormone,'itcouldhaveothersideeffectstoo. "Increasedlevelsofhormonesmayleadustofeelingalittledrowsy,"Shorttsaid."Someresearcherssuggestthatincreasedlevelsofthehormoneserotonincausethis. "Serotoninplaysacriticalroleinourmoodandsleepcycles,andwhenlevelsriseafteramealitcanleadtomakingyoufeelsleepy."(Imagecredit:Getty)AreviewofstudiespublishedintheSportsMedicine(opensinnewtab)journalstates:"Serotoninhasbeenlinkedtofatiguebecauseofitswellknowneffectsonsleep,lethargyanddrowsinessandlossofmotivation."Althoughthesamepiecealsonotesmorerobustevidenceisneededtoprovethatserotoninplaysasignificantrolehere.So,whileitcan'tbesaidforcertain,aboostinserotoninlevelsaftereatingcouldberesponsibleforthathorriblegroggyfeeling.Whichfoodsmakepeoplemostsleepy?ShortttoldLiveSciencethatsomefoodsaremorelikelytocausetirednessthanothers. "Eatingfoodsrichinanaminoacidcalledtryptophanmaybringaboutsomedrowsiness.Thisisbecauseitisinvolvedintheproductionofserotonin.Tryptophanisfoundinmanyprotein-richfoodslikecheese,eggs,turkeyandtofu. "Someotherfoods,likecherries,canaffectyourmelatoninlevelswhichcanenhanceyoursleep.Youcanevenbuymilkwithhighlevelsofmelatoninpitchedathelpingimproveyoursleep."RelatedMysteries—Isdietcokebadforyou?(opensinnewtab) —Whydoeshungersometimescausenausea?(opensinnewtab) —Areinsectsedible?(opensinnewtab)A2015studyonthephysiologicaleffectsofmelatonin(opensinnewtab),publishedintheNeurochirurgiejournal,reinforcesthelinkbetweenmelatoninlevelsandsleep.Itstates:"Thereissomeevidencethatmelatoninstabilizesandstrengthenscouplingofcircadianrhythms,especiallyofcoretemperatureandsleep-wakerhythms."Butit'shardtoprovideadecisivelistofingredientstouseforalesslanguidmoodaftermeals.AccordingtoShortt,thisisbecauseaperson'sreactiontocertaintypesoffoodmayalsocomedowntoallergiesorintolerances. "Feelingfatiguedorfuzzyafterameal,sometimesknownas'brain-fog,'iscommonlyseeninindividualswithfoodallergiesandintolerances,orinthosewithaconditioncalledsmallintestinalbacterialovergrowth(SIBO).SIBOcanbediagnosedusingaglucoseorlactulosebreathtest.YoushouldspeakwithyourdoctorifyoususpectyoumighthaveSIBO."HowtoavoidfeelingsleepyaftereatingWhileresearchisyettoprovideafinalansweronwhypeoplesometimesfeelsleepyaftereating,Shorttadvisedthattherearesomestepsthatpeoplecantakeifthey’retryingtoincreasetheirafternoonproductivitylevels. "Includinghighfiberfoodswithmealscanhelptostabilizeyourbloodsugarlevelsandavoidthatcrash,meaningyou'relesslikelytobesleepy,"saidShortt."Trytoeatregularmealsandavoideatingverylargeportions.Thiscanoverloadyourdigestivesystemmakingyoufeeltiredandsluggish."OriginallypublishedonLiveScience. HarryBullmoreFitnesswriterHarryBullmoreisafitnesswritercoveringeverythingfromreviewstofeaturesforLiveScience,T3,TechRadar,Fit&Wellandmore.So,whetheryou’relookingforanewfitnesstrackerorwonderinghowtoshavesecondsoffyour5KPB,chancesarehe’swrittensomethingtohelpyouimproveyourtraining.  Whennotwriting,he’smostlikelytobefoundexperimentingwithawidevarietyoftrainingmethodsinhishomegymortryingtoexhausthisever-energeticpuppy.  PriortojoiningFuture,HarrywrotehealthandfitnessproductreviewsforpublicationsincludingMen’sHealth,Women’sHealthandRunner’sWorld.Beforethis,hespentthreeyearsasanewsreporterwithworkinmorethan70nationalandregionalnewspapers. MoreabouthealthHowtogetpregnant:TipsandfactstoincreasefertilityDoestheMediterraneandietreducedementiarisk?20-yearstudyhintsnoLatestNevadaboydiesofrarebrain-eatingamoebainfectionafterswimminginLakeMeadSeemorelatest ► LiveSciencenewsletter StayuptodateonthelatestsciencenewsbysigningupforourEssentialsnewsletter. 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