Why We Need a Nap After a Big Meal

If you feel tired after eating Thanksgiving dinner or other big meal, it’s perfectly normal. There’s actually a name for this condition.  It’s called postprandial somnolence, a fancy word for food coma, says Dr. Christopher Winter, a neurologist and sleep medicine specialist with Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine.

“Feeling tired after a big meal is pretty normal,” he tells Women's Health.

However, if you suspect your sleepiness could be due to a medical problem or other reason other than a big meal, consult your healthcare practitioner.

Here are some of the reasons you may need a siesta after eating:

• You ate a larger than usual meal. When you consume more food than normal, your body converts the amino acid tryptophan into the feel-good hormone serotonin and melatonin, the hormone your brain produces that makes you feel sleepy, says Keri Gans, a New York City nutritionist. Certain foods like turkey contain more tryptophan than others, while cherries contain abundant melatonin.

• You drank alcohol with your meal. Alcohol is a depressant, says Gans, and slows down the functioning of your brain and nervous system, which results in drowsiness and fatigue.

• You have insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that’s made by the pancreas that helps glucose in your blood get into your cells, where its used for energy, says the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. When you have insulin resistance the cells in your muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond well to insulin and you end up feeling tired both after meals and during other times of the day.

• You ate a lot of carbohydrates. Gans explains that carbs can cause a spike in your blood sugar and then a crash if you don’t eat them with protein and fat for nutritional balance. This can make you feel “overwhelmingly tired,” she says.

• You’re not getting enough sleep. When you are tired, you may tend to eat more food to boost your energy, says Winter. But in fact, digesting food makes your body work harder and you’ll be sleepier as a result. Try to get between seven and nine hours of sleep a night, especially during the holiday season.

• You have hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is what happens when the level of glucose in your blood drops below what’s healthy for you. This condition is common in people with Type 1 and those with Type 2 diabetes who rely on insulin. While hypoglycemia typically occurs between meals, low blood glucose can also make you feel shaky, dizzy, irritable, and tired after you eat.

• You have obstructive sleep apnea. Winter says that having this condition raises your base level of sleepiness, so eating can make you feel even more drowsy.

To prevent feeling sleepy after eating, try these suggestions:

• Eat smaller, more frequent meals versus large meals

• Consume well-balanced meals that include 25% protein, 25% high-fiber carbohydrates (like quinoa or legumes), and 50% vegetables, along with a serving of fat such as olive oil or avocado.

• Check in with how full you feel. If a huge Thanksgiving meal would be considered a 10, you may want to stop eating at level seven or eight, say experts.

• If you’re suddenly feeling tired after meals and this is something new for you, Winter suggests you check in with your doctor to see what may be going on.