Evidence based 
Do you feel tired or sleepy after eating? Many times after eating, postprandial drowsiness, or a “food coma”, as it can be commonly called, appears. This situation refers to the feeling of sleepiness immediately after eating.
While there is no single answer because there are many factors involved, and also each person may be affected by different triggers, if you feel identified with this, and want to know why every time you eat you get sleepy keep in mind the following topics:
- Circadian rhythm: this rhythm is our internal clock that controls the sleeping and waking periods. Even though each person has a unique and particular rhythm, it’s not rare that our energy levels be affected during the day, particularly after lunch. However, this will also be influenced whether you are more of a “morning person” or a “night owl”.
- Sleeping patterns: if you tend to have irregular sleeping patterns, then it’s more likely that you feel tired and sleepy after a meal since you lack the energy that sleeping provides to function during daily activities.
Also, read – How to Stop Overeating
If this is something common for you, you might want to try to stick to a regular sleep schedule and even it might be helpful to avoid naps during the day, as well as try to reduce your stress levels and up your physical activity.
Existing medical conditions: some of the medical conditions that can be causing your tiredness or sleepiness after a meal include:
- untreated or undiagnosed diabetes, since high blood sugar levels can cause fatigue;
- hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar levels, causing weakness and drowsiness;
- anemia, because our body is not able to transport the oxygen required through the body;
- thyroid problems: makes people prone to fatigue at any time of the day.
If you often feel tired, either after eating or at any time of the day, it is important to check with your doctor if you have a diagnosis of any of the above-mentioned medical conditions.
Asked by: Michael L.
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With a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, Eva is a dietitian-nutritionist who is passionate about everything related to food and nutrition.
She is always in constant search of knowledge and loves to write about topics related to food, nutrition, healthy eating habits, and tips for a healthy lifestyle, making knowledge about food and nutrition education available to everyone, helping them to have better health.
She is also a chef and has experience in recipe creation and workshops on healthy cooking.
