Tremendous Urge To Sleep After A Meal

[hellywelly4]

For quite while now I have had this problem - I have a meal (today's was a small pizza) and now I feel an enormous urge to go and lie down and close my eyes. If I give into it, I have to switch my radio/tv off and not read anything. I just lie there with my eyes shut for about an hour and a half and then I get back to normal.
It's not a nice feeling either.

I'm 73, not too overweight (only a bit honest), have high blood pressure and underactive thyroid all of which are treated with tablets and regularly monitored.

[woofgang]

I get sleepy after a carb lunch, if this is a problem for you then try more protein and less carb.

[boxtops]

I thought everyone did that.... :-)

[tiggerblue10]

I get that feeling after a large meal and mostly after lunch.

[hellywelly4]

Does it completely overwhelm you though? I will look into the carb lunch suggestion thank you.

[woofgang]

yes sometimes, can't do anything but have a doze.

[tiggerblue10]

I've just had jacket potato with tuna mayo and I'm feeling quite sleepy. Might have a nap on the sofa. Won't last long with Little Tiggs around though. Actually I've got a bit of a headache as well and I very rarely suffer with headaches.

[jd_1984]

Particularly large meals take time to digest, meaning blood may be diverted away from other body areas to help with this. Further, if you are dehydrated during or after eating, this may exacerbate your lethargy.
The food you have eaten is diverting your blood for the digestion process. While natural, depending on what you eat, this process can increase your energy levels, or it can cause sluggishness.
The contents of your lunch will have a large impact on your afternoon's energy levels.
Keep hydrated and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks, note which foods make you the most drowsy. Then take the diary to a GP appointment for further tests and discussion about the foods you are eating and the impact that they are having.
As you say, your other conditions are being regularly monitored so may not be linked.
Keep us posted.
Perhaps you are from Spanish decent and you need a siesta!!!
Let us know how you get on.

[maggiebee]

Don't think there's anything wrong with a power nap during the day. I often have one - feel great afterwards even if it's only been 15 mins.

[bhg481]

It's the full-stomach syndrome - the brain diverts blood to the stomach to deal with the food and makes you sleepy so that you can get on with digesting it. I heard of an experiment many years ago (around 50) where mice had balloons inserted into their stomach - when they blew up the balloons the mice fell asleep.

[tiggerblue10]

Weird that Maggie as I normally feel worse after I've had a nap during the day. No idea why.

[cassa333]

Could be the onset of type 2 diabetes.

You don't have to be very overweight to get it.

I was forever falling asleep after meals, espesialy high calorie ones and a simple blood test showed it.

It might be worth asking the prcatice nurse to do a ip test just to rule it out.

[China Doll]

It's this feeling that caused me to stop eating sandwiches at lunch time. I actually don't get it as bad with pasta but if I have a couple of rolls I just want to curl under my desk until home time.

[hellywelly4]

Really interesting replies, thank you all. They have reassured me as I was getting quite concerned (bit of a hypochondriac really!). I will keep a food diary and cut down the carbs.

[Sqad]

Sounds normal to me.
I assume that your thyroid hormones are normal.
What tablets are you taking for your high BP? Betablockers?

[Khandro]

I fail to see any problem, you've probably worked all your life and feel guilty about sleeping in the daytime, relax and put your feet up - you've earned it!

[hellywelly4]

Sqad - BP tabets - Angitil SR 180; Doxazosin 2mg; Losartan 25mg

Thyroid regularly checked. I've always thought I need to take more but 'they' say not.
I was tested for diabetes last Oct and was normal.

[Sqad]

helly......no, nothing in that " lot" that would cause your sleepiness and none are beta-blockers.

Not to worry.

[jd_1984]

http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Feeling-Drowsy-After-Lunch

helly - have a read....

[andy-hughes]

I think we retain this feeling from infancy - if a baby is fed, warm and comfortable, its natural reaction is to sleep, in the case of babies, to assist growing.

I think as adults, a lot of our primal instincts still resist our 'civilising' development, and this is just one more.

The adult animal gives into the urge to sleep so that the body can safely divert the emergey and blood supply needed to digest, without it being needed for any strenuous activity. If the animal is sleeping it is unlikely to run into any 'fight or flight' situations which would require instant blood and adrenaline circulation and mental attention, none of which is available while the body is in 'resting' mode.

This is purely my theory - but it seems logical.

[dave50]

Following on from this, I don't know how people go out for a meal and then go for drinks afterwards. As soon as I have eaten a meal it's time to go home and to bed. The last thing I want to do is stay out, so the meal has to be at the end of the evening for me.