Is it normal to feel tired after lunch

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. Interestingly, there are also hormones that can lead to drowsiness if increased levels are found in the brain.

One such hormone is serotonin. 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.

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. 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. 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 pounds 68 kg , that translates to about mg or 0. 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. 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. 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 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. 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:. So, feeling tired may be less about what you ate for lunch, and more about the timing of your first cup of coffee in the morning.

Someone may feel tired if they have an issue that can interfere with absorbing nutrients from food, like anemia , Prest says. Additionally, hormonal imbalances, insulin sensitivity, or idiopathic postprandial syndrome IPS could be worth looking into, she says.

Symptoms of hypoglycemia include feeling tired, shaky, sweaty, and experiencing heart palpitations, light-headedness , or even panic attacks. Weight Loss. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Ab Exercises for a Stronger Core. You drank alcohol with your meal. Your meal was high in fat and carbs.

Certain hormones are being thrown out of whack. Or you ate a pretty big lunch. A hidden food intolerance could be to blame. It is natural to feel a little sleepy after eating lunch. However, since sleepiness occurs right after people eat, some mistakenly think that it relates to digestion.

In particular, there is a misconception about how blood flow from the brain to the stomach during digestion might cause sleepiness. Although this sounds plausible, it doesn't make that much sense. If this were the case, you'd expect to feel just as sleepy after eating a large breakfast or after dinner.

However, the truth is that this sleepiness is unrelated to the process of digestion. There are certain elements within food that can cause sleepiness. However, usually the amounts are small and have little effect on a person's ability to stay alert.

Some things in food that are known sleep inducers include:. Post-lunch sleepiness often has more to do with the natural timing of an increased tendency towards sleep than the food you consume. Two phenomena contribute to this. They include:. There is a dip in this pattern in the early afternoon. This lull typically occurs seven to nine hours after waking up. When the alerting signal dips, the underlying sleepiness shows itself, and you feel sleepy.

Interestingly, night owls who may naturally fall asleep and wake later often experience a delay in the timing of this afternoon lull as well. As a result, they may not feel sleepy until several hours later. If you experience sleep deprivation , this after-lunch sleepiness can be more pronounced. In addition, sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea may make this worse.

Here are some things you can try to counteract the sleepiness that occurs in the early afternoon:. Each of these can reduce the adenosine levels that contribute to sleepiness.

Fortunately, if you tough it out, this period will pass. Then, as the circadian rhythm revs back up, you will find that you feel more alert again in a matter of hours.

This natural pattern occurs typically, even without a cup of coffee or a nap.