Why do you want to sleep after eating

Food is our main source of energy. But at the same time, many of us, after a hearty lunch, are not at all prone to increased activity, but, on the contrary, dream of taking a nap for at least a few minutes. What is the reason for this, should such a condition be alarming and what to do if you want to sleep after eating?

The main causes of sleepiness after eating

In most cases, mild drowsiness after a meal is a completely normal condition and should not be frightening. Experts have identified several factors contributing to this phenomenon. Although, looking ahead, we must say that in some cases the desire to sleep after eating can be a sign of certain malfunctions in the body.

Influence of the nervous system

Experts often call the nervous system the main culprit of a drowsy state after a meal. To be more precise, the specifics of the interaction of its two parts: sympathetic and parasympathetic. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for activating the muscles and responding to the body. When the parasympathetic is included in the work, then, on the contrary, the muscles relax, the heartbeat slows down, the person calms down. After eating, the parasympathetic nervous system is reflexively activated. Thus, the body, as it were, protects itself from possible stresses, makes sure that nothing distracts its attention from the digestion of food. Hence the feeling of relaxation and peace, and with them – and the desire to take a nap. However, this is only one of the possible causes of afternoon sleepiness.

Redistribution of blood in the body

The blood is to blame, or rather, its distribution throughout the body. And it should be said that today this is the most common and most popular explanation for why you want to sleep after eating. It is well known that all organs of our body are supplied with blood to one degree or another. Together with it, oxygen and useful substances are carried throughout the body, which are necessary for the proper functioning of all systems. But when one of the organs (or system) works in an enhanced mode, then the blood also flows to it more intensively. In the case of the digestive system, the blood supply to the organs of the gastrointestinal tract increases during the digestion of food. Not least, this is due to the flow of blood from the brain to the digestive organs. The brain does not suffer from such castling, but becomes less active for a while. This causes a feeling of relaxation and a desire to relax.

Effect of hormones

The process of digestion of food is accompanied not only by the release of energy, but also by the more active production of certain hormones. In particular, digestion is accompanied by the release of glucagon, amylin and insulin, which directly affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. But at the same time, there are hormones, the increase of which can lead to drowsiness. Examples of these are serotonin and melatonin. By the way, the synthesis of the latter is not a direct reaction of the body to eating food, however, some foods can increase the level of this hormone.

Carbohydrates

Another possible reason why a person wants to sleep after dinner is carbohydrates. It is common knowledge that a high-carbohydrate diet is essential for quick recovery. In particular, carbohydrates are an important part of sports nutrition for bodybuilders. Also, everyone knows that people whose work requires a lot of physical energy need carbohydrate food. However, do not think that the more carbohydrates you eat, the more energetic you will be.

All carbohydrates are divided into simple and complex. The first ones (they are also fast sugars), entering the body, do not require additional splitting, therefore they are immediately absorbed and quickly provide energy. The absorption of complex (slow) carbohydrates takes much longer. The rate of their breakdown and assimilation is determined by the glycemic index. The lower it is, the longer the body will receive uniform portions of energy. In the case of fast carbs, energy (blood sugar) first rises sharply, but then just as quickly declines. When this happens, the activity of brain neurons decreases, the body feels a breakdown and drowsiness appears. Experts have calculated that after eating food with a high glycemic index, sleep tends to occur approximately 30 minutes after a meal.

To avoid drowsiness caused by glucose fluctuations, you should give preference to food that is balanced with fast and slow carbohydrates, and also contains a lot of protein and fiber.

Binge eating

Drowsiness can be the result of overeating. Nutritionists advise to eat more often, but in small portions, not only for those who want to lose weight, but also for those who do not have time for a siesta. The desire to take a nap after dinner is a reaction of the body, which does not have time to digest extra calories. To avoid drowsiness, it is useful to eat every 3 hours and at the same time focus on fiber-rich vegetables (they allow you to quickly get enough without the risk of going overboard with calories).

Dehydration

When the body does not have enough fluid, it signals this with various symptoms. Sleepiness is one of them. If a person consumes too little water, his blood becomes thicker, as a result, blood pressure decreases, the pulse becomes weaker, lethargy, fatigue and a desire to lie down to rest occur.

Rest and physical activity

Lack of proper rest at night can also be one of the reasons for sleepiness after dinner. If the body is exhausted and feels tired, then the influence of factors leading to drowsiness is further enhanced.

Another important factor that determines how the body reacts to a particular food is the physical activity of a person. People who lead a sedentary lifestyle are more likely to complain of drowsiness after eating than their more active peers.

disease

In rare cases, fatigue and weakness after a meal may indicate a health problem. Sleepiness after meals is common in people with diabetes, food allergies, anemia, and thyroid disease. For example, in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, feeling tired after eating may be a symptom of hyper- or hypoglycemia. With food allergies, the desire to take a nap after eating is usually accompanied by other symptoms, such as gastrointestinal upset, headache, and rash.

In addition, drowsiness after meals occurs in people with circulatory problems, for example, due to atherosclerosis that has arisen in the vessels that supply blood to the intestines. If this is so, then, in addition to the desire to sleep, the person has abdominal pain and other digestive disorders.

Sometimes drowsiness after eating can occur as a result of combining certain foods with medications. Such a reaction, for example, can be given by the drug Lovastatin (to reduce the amount of lipids in the blood) against the background of grapefruit juice.

Foods that cause drowsiness

All products entering the digestive system are digested according to the same principle, but they all affect the body in different ways. Some of them may cause drowsiness. For example, those that contain tryptophan.

Tryptophan is an amino acid that the body needs to synthesize serotonin and melatonin, hormones that affect the quality of sleep. Thus, the passion for products with tryptophan can affect the hormonal background and cause drowsiness after a meal. By the way, dairy products contain not only tryptophan, but also quite a lot of calcium, which only enhances the absorption of amino acids. That is why after eating dairy products or different types of cheese, drowsiness may appear.

If you do not want to fall asleep right at work, you should not stock up on bananas as a snack. These fruits also contain tryptophan, which, when combined with carbohydrates, is absorbed quite quickly. Do not forget that bananas are rich in potassium and magnesium – minerals that cause muscle relaxation and drowsiness. Also tends to sleep after large portions of almonds, walnuts and other nuts. There is relatively little tryptophan in these foods, but instead they have melatonin, known as the sleep hormone. By the way, after a large portion of oily fish, such as salmon or tuna, the level of melatonin in the body also increases, which can subsequently cause a feeling of fatigue.

In addition, drowsiness may appear after a large portion of sweet cherries. First, as already mentioned, sugary foods cause a spike and then a sharp drop in blood sugar, which in turn makes us sleepy. Secondly, excessive passion for cherries increases the concentration of melatonin in the body. It is clear that a few juicy berries will not make the weather, but after a couple of glasses of juice it is quite possible to fall into a sweet dream. Chamomile tea is also better to drink in the evening, and not after a hearty meal, as this plant contains the amino acid glycine, which has a relaxing effect on the nervous system. Fans of pumpkin seeds, oatmeal (especially if you add almonds, milk and bananas to the porridge), white rice dishes can complain about drowsiness after eating.

Recently, scientists have made another discovery: food rich in proteins and salt can cause drowsiness. At least, fruit flies, on which scientists conducted an experiment, about half an hour after eating salty-protein food, reduced their activity and fell asleep. During the experiment, it turned out that food rich in salt and proteins “turns off” a group of neurons (leukokinin receptors), which causes a desire to fall asleep.

Nevertheless, we are all different and the listed products can affect the organisms of different people in different ways.

How to prevent sleepiness after eating

If drowsiness occurs every time after eating, it is worth telling the therapist about it. You may need to undergo an examination to determine the cause of the ailment. However, when the possibility of the disease is excluded, and drowsiness after eating occurs only occasionally, you can try to prevent untimely cravings for sleep. To do this, you may need to reconsider your dietary preferences and make adjustments to your lifestyle.

So, to prevent afternoon sleepiness, you need to:

• observe the water regime (drink about 2 liters of water per day);
• follow a balanced diet;
• give up desserts after dinner;
• reduce portions of food consumed at a time;
• enough rest;
• give preference to slow carbohydrates and avoid a lot of sweets;
• reduce or eliminate alcohol from the diet.

The best medicine for restoring energy after a dinner meal is a short nap. If circumstances allow, a 15-minute nap is enough to improve your well-being. In addition, recently scientists have found a lot of evidence that siesta is actually beneficial to humans.

But if you don’t get the opportunity to sleep even for a few minutes, then oxygen saturation of the brain will help to quickly get rid of drowsiness. To do this, take 20-30 quick and deep breaths. It is best to do these breathing exercises outdoors. This trick will allow you to quickly restore strength, restore energy and efficiency.

Light drowsiness after eating in most cases is a natural reaction of the body to the biochemical processes that occur in the body against the background of food digestion. However, if the symptoms of malaise are pronounced, repeat after each meal and do not go away for a long time, it is better to seek help from a doctor.

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