Sleep after sweet. Why do you want to sleep after sweets

Hello dear readers! Our topic for today is sleepiness after eating. Admit it, you probably know this feeling very well.

Someone experiences it more often, someone less often. Do you know why food makes you want to sleep? For what reasons does it arise? Can this condition be avoided? Let's find the answers to these questions together.

Main reasons

Think about it and try to remember, in what cases do you usually start to feel weak and tired after lunch? Vigor usually disappears either after a heavy meal, or if you ate sweets. Correctly?

Why it happens? In the case of a hearty meal, the body has to spend too much energy digesting food.

Just imagine, the mouth, esophagus, stomach and intestines are working on its transportation and digestion at once.

Such a complex process requires a lot of effort. Having coped with the task, the body naturally needs time to recover.

Hence, there is a feeling of extreme fatigue and want to sleep. Some nutritionists jokingly refer to this condition as a temporary food coma.

The second reason is food rich in carbohydrates, especially “fast” foods. Simply put, they ate dessert - they wanted to sleep. This is due to a sharp change in blood glucose levels.

The body uses sugar as one of its energy sources. When resources are depleted, you start to feel hungry.

At this time, the brain is actively producing a substance - orexin. Doctors say that he is responsible for cheerfulness and makes a person go in search of food.

By the way, for the same reason, it is difficult to fall asleep “on an empty stomach”. But now is not about that. When a large amount of sugars enter the body, the production of orexin stops abruptly. Cheerfulness is replaced by drowsiness.

Orexin and insulin

Recent research by scientists has shown that frequent consumption of fast carbohydrates that cause spikes in blood sugar leads to a gradual blockage of orexin-producing neurons.

This can be dangerous to health, as it provokes rapid weight gain, which leads to obesity, and the onset of a disease called "narcolepsy" - a syndrome of constant sleepiness.

That is, if we eat fast food, are fond of sweets, white bread and semi-finished products, then over time we increasingly feel weak after meals, fatigue increases, and physical activity decreases. A person falls into a vicious circle.

“Orexin is extremely important for the normal functioning of our body. It is he who is responsible for connecting the needs of the body with the conscious desires of a person. For example, waking up, looking for food, hormone production, normal metabolism. ” - explains Denis Burdakov, a researcher at the University of Manchester in Britain.

Therefore, you need to ensure that the food you eat during the day does not cause sugar storms.

This is also important because there is another opinion among scientists. They believe that afternoon sleepiness is the result of increased insulin production.

The reason is the same - fast carbohydrates, which, getting into the bloodstream and turning into sugars, signal the liver to produce insulin. It is known to help the absorption of glucose by converting it into energy.

Doctors say that too much sugar "blocks" and the cells in the body stop responding to insulin.

At the same time, the liver continues to produce it in an increased volume. The result is a “system crash”. This can lead to diabetes.

Sleepiness fight

What to do? How to get rid of signs of sleepiness and protect your health?

Nutritionists strongly advise you to pay attention to your diet. Or rather, its composition.

First, fast carbohydrates should be replaced with slow ones. Let me remind you that to them

Whole grains (buckwheat, oatmeal, wheat, quinoa, and others) are included, as well as vegetables, unsweetened fruits and berries.

Secondly, to include in the diet more protein products - lentils, beans, eggs, lean meats and fish, dairy and fermented milk products. Doctors say that egg white can give you more energy than a cup of coffee.

It is scientifically proven that caffeinated drinks stimulate the brain for two hours, protein foods - throughout the day.

In addition, not so long ago in the well-known journal "Neuron" was published research data from scientists from the University of Cambridge.

They say that eating protein-rich foods increases the production of orexins. A person feels vigorous and active, and the calories coming in with food immediately begin to be consumed by the body.

Moreover, the combination of proteins with vegetable fats, such as those found in nuts, helps to “block” the negative effects of glucose on orexin neurons.

The findings were confirmed by two experiments. In the first, orexin cells were placed in tubes with various nutrient solutions. The interaction reaction arose where the amino acids of the proteins were.

In the second, studies were continued on rats. Egg white was added to their diet. As a result, not only did the level of orexin increase in the brains of animals, but also their physical activity significantly increased. The effect lasted for several hours.

What does it mean? The composition and quantity of food is closely related to the reactions of our body. If you want to stay awake and forget about the afternoon sleepiness, do not overeat and eat healthy foods rich in proteins, unsaturated fats and slow carbohydrates.

What to remember

In addition to the composition of food, pay attention to its glycemic index - this is an indicator of how quickly carbohydrates are broken down in the body and how they affect blood sugar levels.

The lower it is, the better. Finding detailed descriptions of the glycemic index of each product on the Internet is not difficult.

Any physical activity can help cope with an attack of drowsiness after eating. Doctors advise not to succumb to even a very strong desire to lie down to rest.

Instead, it is better to walk for at least 10-15 minutes. Fatigue should recede. Although, I personally do not agree with this.

Alternatively, try a short sleep - 15 minutes, it definitely relieves this fatigue, the brain rests and then continues to work with pleasure.

In addition, there is research confirming that activity also affects blood glucose levels.

In people who do not sit still after eating, it rises almost twice as slow as in those who prefer rest.

If you follow the rules of nutrition, but fatigue and drowsiness persist, these may be signs of diseases such as:

hypoglycemia (decrease in blood sugar after a meal),
hyperglycemia (high sugar in the body),
dumping syndrome (a complication that appears after stomach surgery)
or disruption of the endocrine system.

Be sure to see a doctor!

Do you often feel sleepy after eating? How do you deal with this feeling? How strongly does it manifest itself in you? Share your stories in the comments and see you in the next article!

In the desire to get to bed and sleep in broad daylight, in fact, certain foods are to blame. Let's see which ones.

Lettuce leaves can cause drowsiness. The thing is that light food often causes fatigue. This is due to the lack of essential substances in the body. To put it simply, when you dine on just a vegetable salad, your body does not have the resources to function normally.

Therefore, always combine vegetables and herbs with something proteinaceous: eggs, meat, fish.

Dairy products can also make you sleepy. Studies show that milk protein intolerance can manifest itself after 30-35 years, and one of the signs is feeling tired.

Conduct an experiment: eat cottage cheese for an afternoon snack and observe your body. If you feel sleepy after dairy products, this is a reason to think.

Nuts are rich in magnesium, from which muscles relax and a person wants to rest. This is natural and absolutely not scary.

Just try to eat nuts when you have time to rest. Peanuts and almonds are especially rich in magnesium.

Bananas, like nuts, are also rich in magnesium, which naturally makes a person sleepy. This is especially acutely felt by people who have a lack of magnesium.

To avoid drowsiness, nutritionists advise eating bananas with other fruits (apples, citrus fruits).

Sweets very often make a person want to sleep. More precisely, not so. Immediately after eating, you will feel a surge of energy, but after a fairly short time, you will feel drowsy. This is due to the fact that sugar very quickly releases energy, which will disappear just as quickly. And you will feel weak and sleepy.

Therefore, try to eat less sweet, and you should not eat it separately from the main food.

You have probably noticed that from time to time after a hearty, and sometimes very light lunch you feel sleepy. Unfortunately, as scientists report, this problem torments every second inhabitant of our planet. However, there is good news: it is possible to defeat sleepiness after eating, you just need to understand the root causes of its appearance.

There may be several reasons. The most commonplace is binge eating... Do not forget that at the very foundation of the concept of good nutrition lies the message that you need to get up from the table with a feeling of slight hunger. The second, most simple and radically opposite reason is that along with food, your body enters too few nutrientsthat prevent the brain from fully functioning. Thus, the body goes into the "energy saving" mode. That is why nutritionists advise to eat often and in small portions. Try to eliminate "empty" foods from your diet, such as: low fat (0%) cottage cheese or milk.

We are confident that everything is correct in your diet, and you still want to sleep after every meal? You've probably heard that our brain feeds on sugar and therefore it is necessary to use sugar in difficult situations for the brain (exam, report, public speaking). However, such "nourishment" not only does not help the brain, but even causes drowsiness and loss of energy.

In fact, when a person eats something sweet, his blood glucose level rises sharply and he very quickly begins to feel a surge of energy. But immediately, in response to a large dose of sugar, the body produces insulin, which removes glucose from the blood and distributes it to the cells ... And the glucose level that has jumped to the skies falls, as a rule, even below the initial one. Hence drowsiness arises.

This completely normal reaction of the body is due to the fact that the brain does not need large amounts of glucose. He needs it in a small volume and regularly. This can be provided by the so-called slow carbohydrates (cereals, cereal bread, pasta from durum wheat), but in no case sweet.

TOP 5 Tips. "What to do to gradually reduce the sugar level in your diet?"

Don't eat sweets when you want to feel refreshed and energized.

Reduce the amount of sugar at a time (try to put not two spoons in tea, but one and a half and gradually reduce the dosage);

Increase the time from one sweet drink to another;

Eat it in small amounts only after a meal (preferably after an easily digestible protein meal - dairy products or omelet);

Search the Internet for a food glycemic index plate (how much natural sugar is in foods) and take it into account when preparing your weekly diet.

"If a person wants to lose weight, then he must give up sweets," nutritionists say. However, not everyone can deny themselves the pleasure of eating candy or ice cream. For some people, sugar is a kind of drug, they cannot overcome their addiction. Doctors name top reasons why you constantly or sometimes you crave sweets.

Craving for sweets occurs periodically in any person. This can be caused by temporary reasons, such as long breaks between meals. Sometimes the need for sugar becomes pathological. In these cases, you should pay attention to the state of health, find out if there are any serious diseases.

There are several main reasons why you often want to eat something for dessert.

Prolonged hunger

When a person is hungry, he lacks energy, he feels weak. Sugar is a fast carbohydrate that is absorbed in the intestines and immediately enters the bloodstream, saturating the body with energy. Therefore, a person wants to eat sweets in order to recuperate.

Prolonged lack of food can provoke dizziness, weakness, fatigue, apathy in a person

For the same reason, cravings for sweets occur when dieting. For example, on a protein diet, the body is deficient in carbohydrates, so it requires that it be given candy or cake.

Glucose is also required with prolonged exercise or physical work. After 20-30 minutes of physical activity, glycogen in the liver is the first to burn. It is the main store of carbohydrates for cells and provides energy. Without energy, strength is quickly lost, lethargy appears. Then the person develops a craving for fast carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores.

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia is a decrease in the concentration of glucose in the blood. The condition occurs with certain diseases, such as type 1 diabetes. Lowers blood sugar and medications such as insulin. In this case, the patient experiences weakness, dizziness, nausea. He urgently needs to eat a piece of candy or a piece of sugar in order not to develop a hypoglycemic coma.

Deficiency of vitamins and minerals

Why does a person want sweets? Because his body lacks a substance like chromium. It supports carbohydrate metabolism, enhances the sensitivity of cellular receptors to insulin. Paradoxically, overuse of sugar lowers chromium levels, which makes you even more hungry for sweets. It turns out to be a vicious circle. You can get out of it if you get this substance with food or take it as a food supplement.

Lack of vitamins and microelements necessary for the human body is one of the reasons why you want sweets

Craving for chocolate appears with a deficiency of magnesium, and if you want ice cream or sweet soda, the body lacks calcium and tryptophan, an amino acid involved in protein metabolism. You can solve the problem by including the following foods in the diet:

cottage cheese;
nuts;
buckwheat;
liver;
fish;
eggs;
chicken breast.

The habit of unhealthy snacks

It is not always possible to have a full lunch or breakfast. Therefore, some are accustomed to substituting desserts and tea for normal food. This gradually becomes a habit that is not easy to get rid of.

Parents form these habits in early childhood when they give him a cookie or candy to calm him down. This is how the dependence on a large amount of sugar is formed, which remains in adulthood.

By gender: men and women

Who loves sweets more - men or women - is a moot point. However, the female craving for sweets can be easily explained: it is so laid down by nature. Scientists have found that the female brain is more sensitive to sugar, so women become sweet tooth and cannot overcome this habit.

Women's cravings for sweets are explained by the production of the hormone estrogen, which is responsible for the reproductive system of the female body.

The hormones estrogens are the culprits of a woman's love for desserts. They are responsible for the ability to conceive and carry a child. It can be argued that the reproductive instinct requires a woman to consume sugar. For this reason, with age, the craving for sweets weakens, because the level of estrogen decreases, so you rarely find an old woman with a sweet tooth.

By consuming chocolate, a lady prevents aging. Chocolate contains substances (magnesium, serotonin, tryptophan) that are antioxidants. They destroy free radicals, prolong youth. No wonder chocolate masks and wraps are so popular. Therefore, women who love chocolate look younger and have fewer problems with the cardiovascular system.

Depending on the time of day: morning, lunchtime and evening

Nutritionists believe that the best time to consume fast carbs is in the morning. However, some do not feel like sweet things in the morning. Usually, the desire to drink tea with candy occurs in the afternoon or evening. Craving for sweets at different times of the day is due to the following reasons:

In the morning, blood glucose levels drop as most of it is processed overnight. Not surprisingly, the body needs to replenish its reserves.
If you want something sweet for lunch, it means that the person is hungry. After a full meal, the desire to eat candy usually disappears.
By 16–17 o'clock, glycogen reserves in the liver are gradually depleted, the body needs energy supply. At this time, the insulin level is at its lowest, so the cake or ice cream will not damage the figure, but will be absorbed completely. Nutritionists consider afternoon tea the best time for dessert.
Most people notice that they crave sweets in the evening. This is due to elementary fatigue. If you did not manage to have a normal lunch, it turned out to be a difficult day, then the desire to eat something for dessert intensifies. With a normal workload during the day and proper nutrition, such problems usually do not arise.

Depending on physiological processes

The desire to eat dessert depends on the processes that take place in the body.

Nervous tension, lack of sleep

Lack of sleep and fatigue make themselves felt: there is a decrease in serotonin levels, which makes you want to replenish it as soon as possible

When a person is anxious, tired, or depressed, their levels of serotonin, the hormone of happiness, decrease. Chocolate has the property of increasing the amount of serotonin, therefore, a person's mood improves. Hence the evening "raids" on the refrigerator, gatherings with a cake at night.

Before your period

Before menstruation, a woman's hormonal balance is disturbed. At this point, the amount of estrogen rises, and the level of progesterone falls, which is the cause of a depressive mood and an irrepressible appetite. Usually, ladies have a craving for sweets during their period.

Pregnancy and lactation

The body of a pregnant and lactating woman consumes twice as much nutrients and calories. They need carbohydrates for energy. Due to the lack of calcium and chromium, the expectant mother constantly wants ice cream and flour.

During illness

Nutritionists explain why you want sweets when a person is sick. During an illness, the body spends a lot of energy fighting viruses. It takes energy from carbohydrates. And proteins and fats at this moment are too heavy food, since a lot of energy is spent on their digestion. This is due to the lack of appetite and the desire to drink sweet tea with cookies.

With alcohol and a hangover

Ethanol, which is found in alcohol, is poisonous. When drinking large doses of alcohol, the body receives many toxins and tries to get rid of them. It takes a lot of effort to dispose of alcohol. Therefore, some people like to eat sweets so much. This also explains the craving for sugary drinks with a hangover.

After sex

During sex, there is a strong hormonal surge. A person spends a lot of energy. It has been proven that more than 100 kcal is burned in 30 minutes of lovemaking. Naturally, there is a desire to replenish strength.

For any physical activity, whatever they may be, the body always requires replenishment of expended energy

On average, a workout lasts an hour and a half. During this time, the athlete loses 300-700 kilocalories, it all depends on the sport. Glycogen in the liver is consumed after half an hour of training, fats become the main source of energy. If glycogen reserves are not replenished after training, the body will begin to "eat" the muscles. Therefore, athletes not only can, but also need to consume fast carbohydrates in order to close the so-called carbohydrate window.

The desire to eat a piece of cake or a chocolate bar occurs from time to time for everyone for different reasons. If this happens too often and turns into a pathological addiction, then you should be examined. Perhaps there are some diseases or deficiencies in nutrients. Depending on the cause, you can find a way to break the cravings and develop new healthy habits.

We all love sweets and eat them often to pamper ourselves. Some of us even develop a sweet tooth that cannot be satisfied with other foods. Sweets or any other high-sugar food can improve our mood, at least we think so. For some people, however, they can have adverse effects. The following describes the causes of the condition arising from this, the certain accompanying symptoms and the preventive measures that should be taken to alleviate it.

Causes of feeling tired after eating sweets

Homeostasis

There is a myth that sugar provides the body with energy instantly. The truth is that when you consume sugar, your blood levels rise. The pancreas then releases insulin to maintain and stabilize homeostasis. This causes it to suddenly drop, making the person feel tired. Thus, fatigue after consuming sugar is a natural reaction of the body to an increased amount of this substance. In most cases, it goes away on its own as soon as the blood sugar level returns to normal. To stop this type of fatigue, limit your intake of sweets whenever possible. Also, refrain from eating refined carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, and rice, among others. Follow a balanced diet and eat at set times. Also, to keep your blood sugar stable, avoid drastic changes in your diet, such as switching to a rigid or liquid diet.

Serotonin imbalance

Serotonin is a chemical that transmits signals from one part of the brain to another. It affects brain cells associated with a number of bodily functions such as sleep, appetite, and memory. When a person consumes foods high in sugar, a natural reaction of the body is formed. Blood sugar rises and the pancreas releases more insulin into the blood to balance this level. Some people have overproduction of insulin, which causes a building block of a protein called tryptophan to travel towards the brain. In the brain, tryptophan binds to hydroxylase to form serotonin. An imbalance in serotonin can make the body feel exhausted and sleepy after eating sweets. This is another reason behind sugar fatigue.

Reactive hypoglycemia

If fatigue after eating is accompanied by other symptoms such as increased heart rate, nervousness, dizziness, lightheadedness, headaches, sweating, insomnia, and panic attacks, there is a possibility of reactive hypoglycemia. This condition can occur in both diabetics and people without diabetes. When a person with reactive hypoglycemia eats sweets or foods high in sugar, their pancreas produces excessive amounts of insulin and releases it into the bloodstream. This leads to a rapid drop in blood sugar levels, thereby making you feel tired.

Prediabetes

This is a condition in which blood sugar levels rise above normal, but not so high that type 2 diabetes can be diagnosed. Prediabetes can also cause fatigue after eating sweets. It occurs when the pancreas makes less insulin than it needs, or when the body does not use the insulin it releases properly. A sugar test is required to confirm that your blood sugar is in the prediabetes range, with the help of the health center. Prediabetes can be treated by losing weight and avoiding sweets and carbohydrate-rich foods. If this condition goes undetected or neglected, it can develop into type 2 diabetes.

Associated symptoms

Other symptoms that can accompany feeling tired after consuming sugar or sugar products vary from person to person. It should be borne in mind that a person may experience one or more of these symptoms, or not observe any of them. Some of the possible and common symptoms are listed below.

Difficulty concentrating. People who are irritable, nervous, and confused have difficulty concentrating. A person may feel that he is not able to properly perform activities that are simple in other conditions. What's more, people who suffer from hypoglycemia may complain of headaches, tremors, and weakness.
Stomach problems. If a person has a weak digestive system, fatigue after eating foods high in sugar can lead to irritable bowel syndrome.
Dizziness. This is the most common symptom that accompanies feeling tired after consuming excessive amounts of sugar.

Foods to avoid

As mentioned above, it is recommended that you control your sugar or carbohydrate intake to keep your blood sugar in the normal range. Take a look at the list of foods that you should eat less often or not at all if you feel tired after consuming sweets:

Fruit and vegetable juices
Corn products (corn chips, cornbread, popcorn)
Milk and dairy products
Sweets (tori, chocolate, candy, cookies, pastries, etc.)
Fruits (bananas, figs, grapes, oranges, apricots, apples, pineapples, etc.)

Foods high in carbohydrates such as pizza, pasta, potatoes (chips), etc. These foods also contain artificial sweeteners that can make you feel dizzy as your body misinterprets them as real sugar and begins to react to them.

Preventive measures

The main and first-priority preventive measure is drinking plenty of water. Dehydration can be the main cause of tiredness after consuming excessive amounts of sugar. Medicinal plants have the ability to weaken cravings for sweets. Plants such as fenugreek, stevia and gimnema can be used. One of the best remedies for almost any minor digestive ailment is to eat small meals frequently. This reduces the burden on the digestive system, since too much energy is not expended to digest.

The diet should include more foods rich in fiber and less foods rich in carbohydrates.

It is not necessary to suddenly stop consuming sugar, as this has an adverse effect on the body. If you want to lower your sugar intake, do so gradually, allowing your body to get used to the change. Good physical activity is also a good way to prevent fatigue from eating sugar.

If you feel tired after consuming some sugar from time to time, then there is nothing to worry about, as this is common. However, if post-meal fatigue occurs frequently, is accompanied by severe symptoms, and does not go away on its own, it is advisable to see a doctor and start appropriate treatment.

Decreased energy levels after a meal is called postprandial sleepiness. Many people have experienced it at least once: after a hearty dinner, they can really want to lie down and forget about work issues.

Today we'll talk about why you want to sleep after eating, when to start worrying and how to overcome weakness.

Researchers put forward different theories, but they generally agree on one thing: this is a natural reaction, not a cause for concern. Usually you want to lie down around 13-15 hours of the day.

Our body requires energy to survive and exist. It comes from food that breaks down and turns into fuel. Then macronutrients provide the body with calories. The digestive system triggers all kinds of reactions and spends a lot of energy on it.

In 2017, a study was conducted involving night shift workers. One group ate nothing, the other ate. As a result, the second group performed worse than the first and were sleepy at 4 am.

What happens in the body immediately after eating

After a meal - especially sweet foods - insulin is produced by the pancreas, which then converts glucose into glycogen.

Excessive insulin secretion triggers the entry of the essential amino acid tryptophan into the brain. Once in the brain, tryptophan leads to an increase in the production of serotonin and melatonin. These are two neurotransmitters that have a calming effect and help regulate sleep. Interestingly, about 90% of serotonin is found in the intestines, where it regulates organ movements.

Why do you want to sleep after dinner

Causes of drowsiness:

Food allergies or intolerances to certain foods. Commonly associated with digestive problems: bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and lethargy.
Dehydration.
Binge eating.
Increased calorie content.
A spike in blood sugar.
Foods that induce sleep.
Drinking alcohol with meals during the day.

Let's consider some of them.

Studies have shown that cherries (especially sour cherries) or cherry juice affect melatonin levels and improve sleep quality.

More often than not, you feel sleepy after a meal due to spikes in blood sugar caused by fast carbs or simple sugars. Foods with a high glycemic index increase energy levels by half an hour. And then the sugar level drops sharply and you want to sleep.

Dehydration

Water balance controls the well-being of the body. When a person drinks little water, he feels lethargy, headaches. Pulse and blood pressure decrease. The processes in the body "fall asleep" and are called to rest with them. To prevent this condition, regularly drink up to 2 liters of water a day. You can drink a glass in the morning on an empty stomach, and then before each meal.

Binge eating

A hearty lunch causes a daytime breakdown. It is usually the result of prolonged fasting caused by irregular nutrition. The amount of carbohydrates eaten affects the feeling of sleepiness and lethargy.

You need to be able to hear the signals of hunger and stop in time. Large portions and fatty foods make the body work harder and use more energy.

Eat every 2-3 hours to avoid hunger and overeating.

Increased blood glucose

Another cause of sleepiness after eating is related to the amount of insulin produced after meals. Foods rich in protein and carbohydrates have a high glycemic load. They quickly release sugar into the bloodstream, insulin is activated and causes drowsiness.

When you eat white bread, sugar rises in your body. This spike is short-lived and leads to a sharp drop in blood glucose levels, fatigue and drowsiness appear.

Interesting fact. More than half of people practice a small afternoon nap at least once a week.

The benefits of a short sleep:

vigilance and reaction increase;
short-term memory improves;
cognitive functions are activated.

A person who sleeps regularly in the afternoon gets more benefit than someone who sleeps intermittently.

"Sleepy foods" in the diet

While all foods are digested almost equally, not all are equally affected.

The body produces more serotonin, which is responsible for sleep cycles, mood and fatigue. Carbohydrates help metabolize tryptophan, and tryptophan helps you metabolize serotonin.

Tryptophan is found in protein-rich foods:

fish;
domestic bird;
eggs;
spinach;
seeds;
milk;
eggs;
soy products;

High carbohydrate foods:

pasta;
white bread and biscuits;
cakes, cookies, donuts, muffins;
milk;
sugar and candy.

Therefore, cereal with milk is good at night.

How to deal with sleepiness in the afternoon

Don't skip breakfast. It reduces tiredness at the end of the day. If there was no breakfast, you will most likely be hungry at lunchtime and opt for a large and filling portion.
Eat small but frequent meals. Instead of large meals, small meals and snacks every few hours are encouraged to maintain energy levels. There should be enough fruit or a handful of nuts to avoid losing energy.
Get some sleep. A person who gets enough sleep at night is less likely to experience a significant decrease in energy after dinner.
Take a walk. Light physical activity during the day, especially after meals, reduces fatigue.
Take a nap.
Try bright light therapy. Studies have shown that bright light after dinner reduces the urge to sleep and drives away tiredness.
Avoid drinking alcohol with meals.

Not to be confused with disease: when to see a doctor

If a person constantly gets tired after eating, and this affects the quality of his life, you need to see a specialist. Consider possible diseases where sleepiness after eating is one of the alarm bells.

Hypoglycemia

It is characterized by low blood glucose.

Symptoms:

Constantly hungry: the brain gives signals to increase blood sugar levels.
Nausea with attacks of hunger.
Low blood pressure.
Dizziness.
Constant sleepiness and lethargy, regardless of food intake.
Deterioration of concentration and memory.
Mood swings.

How to prevent:

Measure blood sugar levels, record indicators.
Eat more carbohydrates before exercise.
Do not skip meals, do not allow prolonged hunger strikes with exhausting loads.
Do not take long (6 or more hours) breaks between meals.

Hyperglycemia

It is characterized by a high blood glucose content.

Symptoms:

Excessive thirst.
Fatigue.
Weight loss.
Arrhythmia.
Blurred vision.

Dumping Syndrome

Symptoms:

Feeling of overeating.
Weakness.
Drowsiness.
Sweating.
Dizziness.
Profuse perspiration.
Noise in ears.
Heat in the upper body.

Endocrine system disorders

Symptoms depend on the location. Usually present:

Increased fatigue.
Constant desire to eat sweets.
Swelling.
A sharp increase in weight.
Sleep disturbance.
Mood swings.

Conclusion

Feeling tired or having difficulty concentrating after eating is common. Weakness manifests itself from a hearty meal rich in protein and carbohydrates. In most cases, this is a natural biological reaction, but if it interferes with daily life, you should see a doctor.

"After dinner I want to sleep so much!" - sometimes many people confess. It seems that the quality of sleep is normal, but all the same - fatigue, like a spider web, entangles from all sides. And if there is also tea or coffee with something sweet ... Why is this happening?

Gastroenterologist and therapist Daria Ermishina offers to understand the reasons why a hearty dinner does not energize, but, on the contrary, leads to the desire to rest or even sleep. The specialist notes that among them there are those that are easy to eliminate.

Why is there fatigue after eating? - the doctor lists:

Excess carbohydrates in food.

Carbohydrates are converted to glucose and glucose inhibits orexin - a hypothalamic hormone that is responsible for staying awake.

Inflammatory foods also suppress orexin.

On keto, many patients report incredible vigor. This is due to the fact that keto is a low-carb and anti-inflammatory diet.

During meals, the hormone insulin rises. Insulin is responsible for the transport of the amino acids valine, leucine and isoleucine to muscles, but tryptophan is not affected. As a result, there is a lot of tryptophan in the blood \u003d\u003e serotonin \u003d\u003e melatonin \u003d\u003e drowsiness.

Low amount of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) - the main energy "coin" of the body. ATP is produced in the mitochondria, so food and lifestyle that negatively affect mitochondria rob us of energy.

During the meal, the vessels of the gastrointestinal tract expand and the blood is concentrated there, and not in the brain. Consequently, the brain receives less oxygen and nutrients.

With food in the intestine, it produces a homone of cholecystokinin, which blocks norepinephrine and orexin, substances responsible for vigor.

When we eat, our parasympathetic nervous system is activated, which is responsible for rest and digestion.

Knowing the causes of fatigue after eating, some of them can be eliminated:

What measures should be taken:

low-carb diet;

minimization of foods that cause inflammation (trans fats, gluten, omega-6 oils, etc.);

inclusion of anti-inflammatory foods and drugs in the diet (black cumin oil, omega-3, vit D, curcumin, etc.);

take care of the health of your mitochondria (coenzyme g10, nicotinamide riboside, apple cider vinegar, etc.).

Many subscribers of the doctor asked clarifying questions on the topic of her recommendations. For example:

In what proportions should you drink apple cider vinegar? *

The specialist explained:

For 1 hour l. diluted in half a glass of water *.

Lots of carbohydrates with food will cause drowsiness in one way or another, - noted Daria Ermishina when asked about them.

And what do you feel after eating - a surge of energy or drowsiness?

Why do you want to sleep after eating, is it worth it and how to avoid sleepiness?

Do you often want to sleep after meals? Can't resist an afternoon nap and then feel overwhelmed? Learn about the causes of post-meal sleepiness and how to deal with it.

"Eat, you can sleep!" - remember this catch phrase from the popular cartoon about Thumbelina? But there is some truth in the conclusion of the Frog Mother. Food is the only source of energy. But, paradoxically, after using it, there is often not an increase in strength, but a completely opposite phenomenon: lethargy and decreased performance. Let's figure out why you want to sleep after eating and how to deal with this phenomenon.

Sleepiness after eating can be experienced when overworked, due to physical exertion, or due to regular lack of sleep. However, the matter may be not only in the daily routine and the quality of night rest, but also in standard physiological processes.

Influence of the autonomic nervous system

The ANS is divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic. The first is responsible for muscle tension and acceleration of reactions. In all its glory, the result of its functioning can be seen in athletes-runners when they are at the start.

The second has the opposite effect. It is she who is activated during a meal and makes adjustments to the well-established work of the circulatory system: it slows down the flow of blood to muscle tissues and accelerates its flow to the digestive tract. After all, food will be processed in it, and this requires a larger volume of blood.

Attention! In short, the body is not able to combine the digestion of food and vigorous activity, so we tend to go after eating.

Hormonal effects

When a person eats, gastrin is produced in his stomach, which activates the secretion of gastric juice. And in the small intestine, enterogastron is produced, which directs blood flow to the gastrointestinal tract. The rest of the organs suffer from insufficient blood supply, so there is a need for rest.

How to overcome daytime sleepiness?

First, eat small meals as overeating and fatigue are synonymous. Saturation occurs after 10–20 minutes when ghrelin, which is responsible for hunger, decreases and leptin, which leads to satiety, rises. Therefore, the slower we eat, the less we need. And as you know, it is harder for the body to cope with the huge amount of "fuel". He is literally tired.

Second, cut back on simple carbohydrates.They are instantly absorbed, lead to a jump in glucose levels and provoke the production of insulin, which is designed to remove excess glucose.

Attention! With an increase in the concentration of sugars in the bloodstream, a surge of energy occurs, but they are quickly excreted, which ends with a sharp onset of weakness.

Third, don't relax after dinner.Avoid watching a movie in favor of any moderate activity - and stay awake until the evening.

And fourth, support the synthesis of serotonin and melatonin, hormones that regulate sleep cycles. To do this, you need to introduce into the diet foods rich in tryptophan, which performs neurotransmitter functions: dates, chocolate, chicory, milk, beans.

This completely normal reaction of the body is due to the fact that the brain does not need large amounts of glucose. He needs it in a small volume and regularly. This can be provided by the so-called slow carbohydrates (cereals, cereal bread, pasta from durum wheat), but in no case sweet.

TOP 5 Tips. "What to do to gradually reduce the sugar level in your diet?"

Don't eat sweets when you want to feel refreshed and energized.

Reduce the amount of sugar at a time (try to put not two spoons in tea, but one and a half and gradually reduce the dosage);

Increase the time from one sweet drink to another;

Eat it in small amounts only after a meal (preferably after an easily digestible protein meal - dairy products or omelet);

Search the Internet for a food glycemic index plate (how much natural sugar is in foods) and take it into account when preparing your weekly diet.

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