Why Do We Get Tired After Excess Eating?

Dr. Purushothaman
June 26, 2019

It is usually seen that after we feel drowsy and sleepy as soon as we eat our food. At times, people feel very concerned about this phenomenon. Many people fear that feeling tired after eating is due to some illness. This actually gives a big break in their productive day. Even if we eat healthy, we do feel a bit drowsy after having lunch.

Feeling tired soon after having food is mainly linked with the type of food we eat. When the body gets tired, we must understand that it is a method by which our body is reacting to the food we had. Doctors say that such a situation is simply normal. But it is alarming when you cannot just open your eyes and your body simply drags you to sleep. If you experience sleepiness which is not controllable, then you need to understand that this is a sign that your body is not healthy and that you are facing some kind of health issue.

Reasons Why We Feel Tired After Eating

  • The body is reacting against what you have consumed:

  • When you feel extremely tired after consuming food, you need to understand that you have had something really not suitable for your body. Consuming excess sweets or pastries is not good for your health and this can lead to tiredness. Food with excess amount of sugar in them can automatically give your brain the signal that it is time to release large amounts of neurotransmitter and hormone named serotonin. These two can make you sleep fast. Moreover, eating pastries that have flour will shoot up the blood sugar level above the normal range. This will release insulin in large amount. This will push the protein blocks named tryptophan right from the blood to the brain. It will transform into serotonin, which can make you feel sleepy and tired.

  • Sleep due to high intake of carbohydrates that you have consumed:

  • While consuming food with large amount of carbohydrate, like bread, rice or potatoes, it is quite natural for you to feel sleepy soon after. Taking in food with carbohydrates will tend to release insulin that will try to store the sugar that has been taken in as glycogen. This can lead to drop of sugar level, making you drowsy and sleepy. When you want to be productive the whole day long, try eating food with low carbohydrate. In short, if you want to stay healthy and energetic, you need to eat the right food.

  • You are not getting the right exercise:

  • Staying inactive for a whole day will make you feel tired after your meal. People have the misconception that staying inactive will help in maintaining the energy. But this notion is totally wrong. If you need to stay energized all through the day, you need to have the right exercise too.

  • Energy taken by the digestive system:

  • One reason why you feel sleepy after your meal is because the internal digestive organs such as the large intestine, small intestine and the stomach needs to work the right way. Soon after having food, the body needs a lot of calories to digest the food properly. For this, the brain will try to shift the energy flow to the digestive system. This procedure will release the red blood cells for the purpose of breaking down of food particles and also to push the nutrients to different parts of the body.

  • Stress can make you tired:

  • If you are stressed out, you will feel drowsy soon after eating the food. This is because the mind is stressed and tired. This can result in draining of energy that will make you feel really drowsy.

Some Other Reasons For Getting Tired After Eating

Apart from the reasons mentioned above, one might get tired soon after having food due to some other reasons such as Deficiency of nutrients, if you are diabetic, if you have food allergies or if you are intolerant to certain food. If you find yourself feeling extremely tired after consumption of food, make sure to check whether you are eating healthy. Make sure you go for a medical checkup occasionally. This can help to solve your doubts regarding your health and health problems that you are facing.

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