Why do we get tired, or sometimes even fall asleep, after eating a large amount of food??
In: Biology
Your nervous system is split into two parts: the parasympathetic and the sympathetic.
The sympathetic nervous system is what activates when we are encountering a stressful situation. Think of this as the “bear chasing me” side of the nervous system. When in this state, our digestions slows or stops, our heart rate rises, and we often become anxious.
The parasympathetic, on the other hand, is the rest and digest. After you eat, your body naturally enters a parasympathetic state because it is focused on digesting the food you consumed. Blood flow is redirected from the limbs and brain to the stomach.
However, this effect is compounded based on what it is you’ve eaten. A high carbohydrate meal will cause a subsequent spike in insulin, which causes a string of hormones and neurotransmitters to be released. One of these is tryptamine, which is the building block for melatonin, the sleep hormone.
It’s not actually the turkey that makes you sleepy after Thanksgiving, but more likely the mashed potatoes for this reason.
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