What is Food Coma and How Can You Prevent It from Happening?

The term "food coma" is frequently used to describe the feeling of sleepiness and drowsiness or decreased energy levels that usually occurs after eating. Postprandial somnolence is the medical term for this condition.

Postprandial somnolence, colloquially known as a food coma, is a feeling of fatigue, or sleepiness that can occur shortly after eating a meal. Postprandial somnolence refers to after eating, whereas somnolence refers to sleepiness. Researchers are still trying to figure out the causes of postprandial somnolence. It could be a natural biological reaction to the body digesting food, the type of food that you're eating, or it could be caused by something else.

Food Coma: Symptoms

Postprandial somnolence symptoms include sleepiness or drowsiness, a lack of energy, a lack of focus or concentration. The mentioned symptoms may last between a few or longer hours.

Food Coma: Causes and Prevention

Meals

Carbohydrate-rich meals help the body absorb tryptophan. It is an amino acid that the body uses to make serotonin. Serotonin is a hormone that aids in the regulation of sleep, digestion, and mood. It is thought to be responsible for the common post-meal feelings of happiness, sleepiness, and satiety.

So, eating protein and carbohydrates can also cause a feeling of sleepiness.

In order to avoid the feeling of sleepiness and fatigue limiting the intake of protein and carbohydrates in your diet can help.

Meal Size

People who eat larger meals during the daytime often feel sleepy in the afternoon. The reason for this could be that a certain amount of effort is required to digest a meal, the larger the meal the larger the effort is required by the body.

This causes a coincidental slump in energy with the body's natural slump energy. The circadian rhythms are the reason for causing this wakefulness slump in energy. This usually takes place between 2-5 pm.

Eating a small and healthy meal can prevent this slump in energy from occurring.