After having lunch, we often feels sleepy and its natural to feel a little more sluggish specially during the cold days. As soon as the meal is over, the eyes start feeling heavy, lethargic and sleepy. Sometimes, people find it difficult to keep their eyes open even though they want to. This slows down the pace of work and also makes it difficult to focus. If you also have this problem all the time, then this article can be useful for you.
Famous MBBS, MD Dr. Shalini Singh Solanki has shared a video on her Instagram. In it, she said that our eating and drinking habits are largely responsible for this problem. If you understand those habits, you can easily control lethargy.
Why do you feel sleepy after a meal?
Eating too many carbs: Doctors say that if you eat chapati, rice or sweets in large quantities during a meal, the insulin level in the body suddenly increases. This gives you energy for a short time, but then the energy decreases immediately. Due to this 'energy crash', you start feeling very sleepy.
Fried and oily foods: The body has to work harder to digest oily and heavy foods. In such a case, most of the blood flow in the body is diverted to the stomach. Due to this, the brain gets less oxygen and starts feeling lethargic and sleepy.
Not drinking enough water: If there is a lack of water in the body, digestion slows down. Food takes time to digest and feels heavy. Due to this, both sleepiness and laziness increase.
Insufficient sleep: If you did not sleep well the previous night, the body immediately goes into relaxation mode after eating and sleep comes faster.
Anemia or thyroid: In addition to the above reasons, if you feel sleepy immediately even after eating lightly after every meal, then it may be due to anemia, i.e. anemia or thyroid problem. In such a case, you should consult a doctor.
How to get rid of lethargy?
- Always eat light and balanced food.
- Avoid high carbs, sweet and fried foods.
- Walk for 5–10 minutes after meals.
- Drink enough water throughout the day.
- Get a good and complete night's sleep.
- If the problem occurs daily, get the necessary health checkups.
It is normal to feel a little sleepy after meals, but if it starts affecting your daily life, don't forget to improve your eating habits and consult a doctor if necessary.