Do you know the feeling of drowsiness after a meal? This article will tell you everything you need to know about this phenomenon called postprandial drowsiness.

The best part?

After you finish reading this guide, you can avoid having a food coma again, although it may take you some time to digest all the information below.

So let's take small bites, okay?

Here comes the plane!

What is postprandial somnolence?

If you've ever experienced a " post-dinner dip" or even a " post-lunch dip," you've experienced postprandial drowsiness.

Let's analyze these words:

"Postprandial" refers to after a meal...
"Somnolence" refers to drowsiness.

Therefore, postprandial somnolence refers to the common experience of sleepiness after eating [1].

You can most easily remember it as the frequently used "food coma." Most people experience a feeling of low energy combined with a feeling of wanting to sleep.

Don't worry, it's very normal to experience this from time to time. Which brings us to our next question...

Why do you have postprandial drowsiness?

Unfortunately, there is limited conclusive scientific evidence on postprandial sleepiness. Feeling a dip in energy or feeling sleepy after a meal varies from person to person. A person may experience sleepiness, or simply a lack of energy, or perhaps both.

On top of that, their circumstances change all the time. All of this makes it difficult to study [2].

That doesn't mean that scientists haven't come up with several theories yet. Let's take a look at the most common reasons.

Your brain's sleep center is being stimulated

One of the most recent theories about postprandial sleepiness is that it is influenced by a combination of neurons, the so-called arcuate nucleus (ARC).

This group of neurons is located in the hypothalamus, which is an area close to the center of your brain (see the image below to find out where it is located). The ARC regulates your appetite, in response to the different signals your body communicates to your brain.

Your appetite is primarily regulated by signals from your body. One important indicator is peptides, which are short chains of amino acids.

Peptides are created when you eat foods that contain protein. Your body produces different chemicals during digestion. These substances break down proteins into small protein chains, which are called peptides. Once these proteins are small enough, your body can absorb them.

After your ARC finishes evaluating your body's signals, it sends the signals to the hypothalamus. At this point, the ARC might stimulate the sleep centers. Another possibility is that the sleep center is activated through signals in your body without the ARC as a mediator [3].

Blood flow to your brain changes

Of all the theories explaining postprandial drowsiness, the most common one is that blood flow is redistributed after a meal.

Blood is redistributed from the blood vessels around your brain to the blood vessels around your intestines. To be specific, it is suggested that there is a redistribution of blood from the heart to the gastrointestinal tract.

However, this assumption also makes this theory one of the most debated around the topic of postprandial drowsiness. Naturally, blood flow to your brain is carefully and constantly regulated by your body to maintain normal bodily functions.

Take exercise as an example. During this activity, a large amount of blood enters the muscle but still, blood flow to the brain is maintained [4]. Therefore, it does not seem very likely that blood redistribution can explain postprandial drowsiness.

At this point, you're probably still wondering...

How can I prevent a food coma?

When you look at multiple studies, it becomes clear that more research needs to be done in the area of ​​postprandial sleepiness, as the reasoning behind this is still unclear.

But there are key points that indicate things you can do to avoid your regular nap after lunch or after dinner.

The following tips can help you prevent a food coma:

• Watch your food intake
• Eat the right macronutrients
• Get enough sleep
• Portion control
• Being active after a meal

Let's discuss the methods and why they help.

Watch your food intake

Don’t eat big meals when you want to be productive afterwards. In addition to this, make sure you drink enough water. You naturally experience a dip in energy levels at different times of the day due to your circadian rhythm [5]. Therefore, eat light meals that provide you with a sufficient amount of energy for the tasks at hand and drink enough water throughout the day. Simple, right?

More specifically, balance your macronutrients

Do you tend to feel sleepy after eating high-fat, low-carb meals compared to low-fat, high-carb meals? [6]. Simply put, if you eat high-carb meals instead of fat, you are more likely to prevent a food coma. On the other hand, you should also try to avoid high-carb meals as this could also increase the chances of feeling sleepy. Not to mention, you should also measure your activity level. So think ahead. It’s all about balance.

Get enough sleep

The sleepiness you naturally experience due to your circadian rhythm is made worse by a poor night's sleep. There is a connection between your sleep (or lack thereof) and the size of your meals. Lack of sleep in combination with a heavy meal during the day is said to make you feel very sleepy [7].

Portion control

You might think this is obvious, but it's one of the things that most studies point to as a good way to reduce your chances of getting into a food coma. You need to eat to maintain energy levels, but eating too much can trigger feelings of postprandial drowsiness [8].

Being active after a meal

Get your blood flowing right after eating. Go for a walk or play table tennis. Once you get your blood flowing, you can decrease the likelihood of feeling drowsy [9].

Conclusion

Postprandial sleepiness is a complicated research topic, but so far we know enough to keep these food comas at bay. The most likely cause of postprandial sleepiness is a signal in your brain that triggers your sleep center. These signals are activated by your body during digestion. So if you don't want this sleepy feeling, you need to eat the right foods in the right amounts, get enough sleep, and stay active after eating.

Bonus Tips:

To help you combat the "food coma", we have developed a nutritionally complete meal shake that contains everything your body needs.

• Watch your food intake: mix water with soluble plant-based ingredients to obtain a complete and balanced shake.
• Get the right macronutrients: Meal shakes are rich in fiber and protein. They are rounded out with the right amount of healthy fats.
• Portion Control: Each scoop is 50 grams, which is approximately 200 kcal.

Healthy products to prevent food comas:

Sources

1. Orr, W.C., Shadid, G., Harnish, M.J., &; Elsenbruch, S. (1997). Meal Composition and Its Effect on Postprandial Sleepiness. Physiology &; Behavior, 62(4), 709-712.
2. Murphy, KR, Deshpande, SA, Yurgel, ME, Quinn, JP, Weissbach, JL, Keene, AC, . . . William, W.J. (2016). Postprandial sleep mechanics in Drosophila. Elife, 5, e19334.
3. Kim, S.W., &; Lee, B. I. (2009). Metabolic state, neurohormones, and vagal stimulation, not increased serotonin, orchestrate postprandial drowsiness. Bioscience Hypotheses, 2(6), 422-427.
4. Bazar, KA, Yun, AJ, &; Lee, P.Y. (2004). Debunking a myth: neurohormonal and vagal modulation of sleep centers, not redistribution of blood flow, may account for postprandial somnolence. Medical Hypotheses, 63(5), 778-782.
5. National Sleep Foundation, Food and Sleep, 2019.
6. Wells, A.S., Read, N.W., Uvnas-Moberg, K., &; Alster, P. (1997). Influences of Fat and Carbohydrate on Postprandial Sleepiness, Mood, and Hormones. Physiology & Behavior, 61(5), 679-686.
7. Reyner LA, Wells SJ, Mortlock V, Horne JA. 'Post-lunch' sleepiness during prolonged, monotonous driving - effects of meal size. Physiol Behav. 2012;105(4):1088-91. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.11.025.
8. Shukla C, Basheer R. Metabolic signals in sleep regulation: recent insights. Nat Sci Sleep. 2016;8:9-20. doi:10.2147/NSS.S62365.
9. Matsumoto Y, Mishima K, Satoh K, Shimizu T, Hishikawa Y (2002). Physical activity increases the dissociation between subjective sleepiness and objective performance levels during extended wakefulness in humans.