3 Reasons Why You Feel Tired After Eating

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Are there times where you felt drowsy and tired after consuming your meal, struggling to keep your eyes open to avoid falling asleep in public places? But why is this so? This can be caused by digestion patterns and sleep cycles. Let us jump right into today's topic, 3 reasons on why you feel tired after eating!

Digestion cycle

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After consuming your delicious meal, the food will be sent to your digestive system to be broken down into nutrients. Your body will be breaking down macronutrients such as protein to provide energy to your body. Aside from this, hormones such as cholecystokinin, glucagon, and amylin are also released during digestion to increase the feeling of fullness, blood sugar rises, and insulin is produced to allow sugar to travel from the blood and into the cells. When your brain detects that there are increased levels in the brain, a hormone called serotonin will be released which can make you feel drowsy.

Diet

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Certain food when digested can affect your body differently as compared to others. Some of the food that can make you feel sleepier are spinach, soy, eggs, cheese, and tofu. Food that is high in protein has amino acids in them called tryptophan. This acid is used by the body to create serotonin which is a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate sleep. Thus, you'll feel sleepy after consuming these foods as there's an increased level of serotonin in your body.

Lack of sleep

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If you did not get a good night's rest the day before, it can play a part in making you feel sleepy too. After finishing your meal, you'll feel relaxed and full which makes your body feel like resting, especially if you did not get a good night's sleep.

In conclusion, there are many factors that can make you feel sleepy after eating. To avoid feeling restless, try having ample of sleep the night before and avoid foods that are high in protein as they will increase the level of serotonin produced.

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