Getting Sleepy After Eating

Eat a Healthy Breakfast

Understand what it is that is probably making you feel sleepy after lunch.

Watch What You Eat at Lunchtime

Not eating all three macronutrients at every meal (protein, natural dietary fat, and slow-burning, low-starch carbohydrates)

Waiting too long in between meals to eat

Not eating enough or too much

Eating too much sugar

I am glad you mentioned age (50) I am 70 and I began to experience this sleepiness after eating about 5 years ago. I wonder
if age had something to do with it. I am also 35 pounds overweight,. Could that also be one of the reasons? I hope that the FDA
gives a grant to a study group and find out the cause.

Eat a Healthy Breakfast

Watch What You Eat at Lunchtime

Eating a meal and immediately going to sleep, that cannot be right.  Not in a bit of time, but right away.  Also, it can be a simple box of popcorn at the theater, right to sleep.  Something is off.  Yes, diabetic, but not insulin taking diabetic, recently had heart attack.

I like to exercise after a meal- to 'use the food' but feel really sleepy.
I am on a lot of pain meds so eating with them slows the absorption, so it shouldn't be them causing it. I have lost 2 stone recently and I am aware my body will try and hang on to the calories if I do not keep my sorry ass moving. Pain clinic also recommend I exercise as much as possible. Also if I stop moving then I feel more pain, sometimes I find it difficult to put weight on left leg due to nerve pain. I wish I could exercise whilst sleeping!

Reply to schaecher-I, too get extremely sleepy after eating carbs, if I eat a baked potato I will sleep for at least 48 to 96 hrs.I don't mean slight sleepiness-I mean I am not able to do anything but sleep (I do wake to go to bathroom, but nothing else). I disagree with some other posts that say it is normal to be sleepy after a meal. I have only been this way for past 2 to 3 yrs, prior to that did not have problems. Also, I have been sleeping in a recliner for past 5 yrs. I have celiac disease (gluten intolerance), lactose intolerance and now apparently carb intolerance. Gluten caused so much gas that in turn caused my intestines to kink on itself to the point that I have had 3 exploratory surgeries with 20" colon removed, part of small intestine removed during surgery for complete small intestine obstruction. Surgeon said small intestine tissue in did not look good where it had kinked so much so he removed small portion. Also, lying down in bed can cause my intestine to kink so I sleep in recliner. All my blood tests for thyroid function were normal. Dr. does not know what to do for carb problem, admits he believes me but he doesn't know what to do. I want apt to endocrinologist but my PCP won't give me one.He thinks he has run all tests that need to be run but I'm not sure.

The great combination of a workout routine and a healthy diet will help you fast weight loss diet plan free while maintaining a hardcore workout will definitely lead you to your success in weight loss.It is the simplest and easiest fast weight loss diet plan free without any surgeries and maintenance of pills.

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Could be hormonal and there's not much else one can do except get blood tested and get some advice from an doctor knowledgeable about hormones. Most western doctors do not bother focusing on hormones, much like nutrition, so focus on finding one who does. I have found good advice and help from doctors associated with a system called BodyLogic. Look them up and find one in your area if you can't find a good doctor in the area of hormones. It can change your quality of life for the better.

I am getting extremely sleepy also after eating... but only if there is soy in the ingredients... one time it was just a pkg of Grandma Cookies.. the most recent was after eating a bowl of beef and veggie soup.. with organic EVERYTHING (except the meat) including the stock... ehen I woke up after 4 hours I checked the veggie stock box and there was SOY in the ingredients.. I alse had a headache and sore lips....  I even have a severe reaction after having a little of a cereal with organic soy milk!!!  BUT I WAS TESTED FOR ALL FOOD ALLERGIES AND I HAVE NONE!!!!!  I also seem to be more sensitive to pesticides also...  I do have hypothyroid which was recently diagnosed.. I have all my life not had any problem with food, I could eat anything I wanted...

I am no medical expert, this is just my empirical observation and deduction.  This is not an advice, plus, there should not be any harm induced if you follow the suggestion.  If it does not helpz then there may be other underlining issues.

Foodcoma, as some describe it is very common. My solution is this.

1. After eating, try not to drink right after.

2. The stomach needs energy to digest.  Energy needs oxygen. Therefore, oxygen is directed to the stomach, thus leaving less for the brain, thus the feeling of sleepiness.  Try to take deep slow breaths to give the brain more oxygen  and if you feel more alert, then that's the reason.  It's similar to yawning, when you yawn, you give your body more oxygen, temporarily providing more alertness.

I know 1. May not have any relation to 2. but, usually after drinking your stomach swells thus giving the feeling of bloatedness, hence is why I avoid drinking after. Plus it dilutes the gastric juices thus making digestion longer.

You seem to be the only one who gets it here. You describe perfectly the state of extreme sleepiness contrasted with mere sluggishness. You also made out how it wasn't always like that. Obviously if it was normal one would know that. Some people doesn't seem to have a clue what they are talking about here, proposing bluntly Athkins diet or whatever. Personally I never used to have this before until I reach about 27 and not because of some dietery change as some seem to be suggesting here! The excessive sleep is phenomenal - I can literally fall asleep and my head eventually collapsing on my office desk while working in front of a computer or while writing with a pen! I remember there were times at a course I was taking a while ago when again after a meal I'd literally so to say collapse right there in front of the teacher who was speaking to me! Everyone would think I'm dead tired and lack sleep when I'm not!?! The one thing I can say is it wasn't always like that.

I have exactly the same problem and I am thinking of having Narcolepsy...I dont know SIR TO PREVENT THIS ANY MEETING TRAINGN TIME I HAVE

Well, I have consulted with a lot of doctors about the "extreme sleep" and for me "wooziness" after consuming food. As the docs see it, this phenomena has begun in the past few decades and is increasing in frequency. It could fall into a lot of categories of medical causes, so a lot of testing may be required. One doctor had the courage to suggest that this is not likely something caused from a physical illness as much as a change in the food processing over all.....such as an increase in additives and antibiotics and pesticides....that some people have reached their threshold and cannot tolerate any more and have developed an allergic reaction or intolerance. We may be experiencing the beginning of a major impact from the way our food is grown, processed, and made. I buy natural or organic food now and have gone gluten and dairy free.....and I am always wishing for something "more better tasting" to eat. Ha! Anyway, I have had improvements.

check for modified food starch in the cold meat, gluten in the bread.....these are a couple culprits.

Blood supply to the stomach does increase to promote digestion, but that's not what is causing your food comas:

You are spiking your blood sugar too high. You are eating a meal that is either too high in carbohydrate, or you are developing insulin resistance (or both.)

Try eating meals with 25+ grams of protein per meal. Eat healthy fats (avocado, coconut oil, flaxseed, organic butter) with your meals to slow carb absorption. Don't be afraid to eat fat. Make the carbohydrates the last part of the meal that you consume. For the love of god, don't eat anything "white": no rice, potatoes, breads, etc. If you can avoid grains entirely, that is best.

For breakfast, try to minimize carbohydrates as well. Eating a bowl of oatmeal  or just fruit is one of the worst ways to start your day. You've just spent eight to ten hours fasting, and spiking your blood glucose is the LAST thing you should do.

This country is going to diabetic hell in a hand basket since the 1980's when fats were deemed evil and grains were toted to be "healthy." It's total bull. And don't let anyone tell you that 25g of protein per meal is bad for your kidneys, that's the grain industry talking, and my God is it corrupt.

Read these books:

Potatoes, Not Prozac

Wheat Belly, Total Health

Diet Cure

Eat to Live

Eat Well and Live Long,

Guest

M.S. Nutrition, Doctoral Candidate in Public Health