Why do I get sleepy after I eat? Foods that have amino acid tryptophan that are in turkey and other foods can make you sleepy. Serotonin is a transmitter that helps regulate sleep and having too much of it can give you that post meal drowsiness.
Why do I get sleepy after I eat? iStock-photo credit: sementsovalesia
Some of the foods that have tryptophan are fish, tofu, spinach, soy, eggs, etc. Tryptophan is used by the body to create serotonin.
Here are foods that contain tryptophan which are:
Hard boiled eggs- 0.15 grams of tryptophan
Roasted whole Turkey- 0.29 grams of tryptophan.
Parmesan cheese- 0.48 grams of tryptophan
Cheddar Cheese- 0.55 grams of tryptophan.
Dried Spirulina- 0.93 grams of tryptophan
Eating cherries can also affect your melatonin levels and it can cause a spike in your blood sugar levels. And one of the effects of this is causing you to be sleepy.
Some other health conditions that can make you feel sleepy are sleep apnea, diabetes, celiac disease, anemia, etc. If you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and you are sleepy it could be the cause of hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia.
Hyperglycemia is when there are too many sugars that are consumed, and this is classified as having high blood sugar. And hypoglycemia is when you have low blood sugar levels. If you have any of those serious medical conditions, then you should contact your doctor immediately.
One of the best ways to identify what foods make you sleepy after eating them is to document everything in a food diary. The food diary allows you to track what you are eating, drinking, etc. Once you record everything daily in terms of the time you eat and drink you will be able to know right away what foods trigger your drowsiness.
There are certain lifestyle habits that counteract sleepiness such as:
- Drinking water to stay hydrated
- Limiting and avoiding alcohol
- Consume enough electrolytes.
- A balanced diet that encompasses fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, etc.
The Bottom Line is the reason you might have drowsiness after you eat is because you may have a possible food allergy. Or you are consuming foods that have too much tryptophan which triggers your serotonin levels which is the hormone that regulates sleep.
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