Have you ever wondered why you feel sleepy after eating?

Sleepiness after eating is a body’s response to chemical changes during the digestion process. If you feel sleepy after eating, don’t worry it’s normal and happens to everybody. When the stomach is full, then sleepiness will occur. It’s caused by many factors. These also include the type of food you consume, messy sleeping habits, and so much more. 

3 Factors Why You Feel Sleepy After Eating

Digestion patterns and brain hormones

Your body needs the energy to function. And, unsurprisingly, you obtain this energy through food. The body, then, breaks down the nutrient from the food in the digestive system to turn them into glucose. Then, it converts it into energy. After eating, the body releases hormones.

These hormones include amylin, glucagon, and cholecystokinin. These hormones also increase blood sugar levels. Then, it creates a feeling of fullness and produces insulin that will be streamed through cell tissues and provide energy for them. Meanwhile, the brain releases serotonin which causes drowsiness. 

The type of food you eat

Your body digests all types of foods in the same way. Some foods trigger more drowsiness than others. Foods that are rich in protein like meat, poultry, eggs, fish, spinach, tofu, cheese, and soybeans, contain tryptophan amino acid. This amino acid, then, produce serotonin. This is responsible for drowsiness. 

Foods containing carbohydrates, on the other hand, help produce serotonin and tryptophan amino acids found in the brain. This is the reason why you feel sleepy after eating carbohydrate-rich foods. As long as the food combination contains tryptophan amino acid and carbohydrates makes you feel drowsy. 

Overeating also causes sleepiness. After eating, the body streams more blood to the digestive system to better digest foods in massive amounts. This also causes temporary blood and nutrients shortage in the brain. 

Sleeping habits

Bad sleeping patterns can also cause sleepiness after eating. After a meal, the body feels full and relaxed. Then, it makes the body feels like it has started resting, resulting in a feeling of sleepiness. Particularly, if you didn’t get a good night’s sleep the night before.