The reason why you easily fall asleep after eating

This is an automatically translated article.

1. Overview

If you are traveling, have an erratic schedule, and are often stressed, it is easy to suddenly have sudden episodes of sleepiness. However, some chemical changes in the digestive process are also important causes of drowsiness after eating.
Digestive mechanism of the body
The two parts that consume the most energy of the body are the brain and the digestive system. After eating, the energy in the body is poured into the digestive system, which means a large amount of color is pushed down to the stomach to help contract and digest food. This leads to a decrease in blood flow to the brain and other organs, causing drowsiness after eating.

Drowsiness will be more severe if the diet is high in sweets and starches. These two ingredients will stimulate the brain to produce a large amount of the neurotransmitter Serotonin, which causes drowsiness. In contrast, people whose diets were high in vegetables and fats from foods like milk and olive oil tended to be less drowsy after eating than those who ate a lot of meat, fast food, and soft drinks.

2. Other causes

2.1 Digestive cycle The digestive cycle plays an important role in converting food into energy to help the body function and carry out life functions. The digestive cycle also helps trigger internal reactions of the body such as:
Release of hormones Cholecystokinin (CCK), glucagon, amylin increase satiety, increase blood sugar. Insulin production promotes the increase of Serotonin and Melatonin, which covers the whole brain and causes a feeling of sleepiness.

2.2 Sleep habits Getting enough sleep and high quality sleep also significantly affect the body's response to meals. If you feel full and satisfied after eating, your body will tend to want to rest.
In addition, many studies also show that eating before bed can cause weight gain. The reason is because when we sleep, the body cannot digest food and burn calories as usual. In the long run, this can affect health and lead to many serious diseases. It is best to make it a habit to eat 2-3 hours before going to bed.
2.3 Health conditions In rare cases, feeling sleepy after eating or often feeling lethargic and exhausted can also be an implicit warning sign of health problems. Diabetes, anemia, Celiac disease, food allergies, and sleep apnea can make sleepiness after eating worse. If you are often tired or experience the above conditions, you should visit your doctor for advice and find a solution.

3. How to avoid drowsiness after eating

Some ways to help reduce sleepiness after eating:
Avoid high protein foods: Not all foods affect the body in the same way. Foods high in fat, sugar, and carbohydrates are often responsible for sleepiness. You can reduce this effect by balancing vegetables, fats, and carbohydrates in your diet. Following a healthy diet will produce lower sleepiness during the day. A light walk after eating will help increase blood circulation, stimulate muscle activity and help the body be more alert. Exercise not only helps you improve your health but also stays awake throughout the day, limiting stagnation and distraction after meals. Regular exercise also helps increase energy and reduce fatigue, helping to provide you with enough energy for daily life. Eating small meals will help the body to be more alert after lunch, especially when you are at the office. If you feel tired and sleepy after eating, don't worry because this is just the body's normal response to biochemical changes caused by the digestive process. In general, this is a natural phenomenon and occurs in almost everyone, absolutely not harmful to your health.
To register for an examination at Vinmec International General Hospital, you can contact the nationwide Vinmec Health System Hotline, or register online HERE.