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Contact us today. Request An Appointment Previous Next. Circadian Rhythm. Your natural body functions related to your sleep drive, and the circadian rhythm play a big part in determining your sleep patterns. Certain Foods. Some foods increase the desire to sleep. When glucose formed by foods high in carbohydrates, the sugar causes insulin production to increase, resulting in a decrease in energy and an increase in tiredness. Scientists suspect that this hormone can contribute to post-meal sleepiness , explaining why we can feel sleepy even after a lower-carb, higher-fat meal.
Serotonin — This is the infamous happy hormone! Your body uses the amino acid tryptophan one of the building blocks of protein to produce serotonin , which can make you feel sleepy. Stimulants like caffeine What goes up must come down, so if you wake up and hit the coffee pot hard, it makes sense that at some point, your caffeine hit is going to wear off and you will start feeling tired. Avoid feeling tired after meals by changing what you eat Making some tweaks to your diet can help you to beat post-food fatigue and keep you feeling energized and alert throughout the day.
The facts on food-related fatigue Blood sugar levels, hormones, inflammation, and what you eat or drink can all affect how tired you feel after eating. Changing what you eat can help you feel more energized after a meal. What you should eat to fight post-food fatigue depends on your unique biology - beat the slump by working with your metabolism rather than against it. Join our mailing list Get occasional updates on our latest developments and scientific discoveries.
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. Tossing and turning night over night can have a big impact on your quality of life.
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