Getting sleepy after eating
Asleep in the métro
I never have anything to eat if I am going to be driving, it would be dangerous.
When I was in highschool, I studied Russian, and we all loved our Russian teacher. As she was the only teacher of Russian in the school, after a while, we really got to know her well. Whenever she gave us a test, we knew that she would get bored and fall asleep. I am not kidding you. I remember the way her eyelids would drop, her eyes would roll up and down, how you could see she was fighting sleep, and how she finally fell asleep. And THEN, her naughty pupils would start cheating. Yes, me too!
At the time, I thought that she was just old. Now I wonder if maybe she suffered from the same ailment as myself: she had had something to eat and it made her sleep.
Once, about ten years ago, I had promised my students to show them a Hitchcock movie after studying a couple of scenes with them. I showed them the video, right after lunch, sat at the back of the class with them, and… fell asleep. When I woke up, the students were totally absorbed by the suspense in the movie, but I knew that at least twenty minutes had passed when I had been in deep sleep. Of course, this wouldn’t have happened if I had been teaching, but sitting in a chair, I just couldn’t fight it.
I don’t think it has anything to do with age since I have been like this for years, but I am afraid it’s not going to get any better with ageing…
Have you ever tried caffeine-enriched drinks ? Sincerely, I don’t know anything in the world as disgusting as it is. But I can testify that, after such a drink, there’s no way to sleep… even with a Bebert couscous in your stomach !
Cheers,
YLB.
Comment by YLB — March 30, 2006 @ 9:46 am
My experience with coffee and diet coke tells me that caffeine doesn’t work on my post-sugar sleepiness. It’s probably a metabolism thing. Maybe post-eating exercise would help, but I always seem to be sitting down after I eat. I notice in your examples, Claude, that you and your teacher are sitting in darkened rooms when the after-meal drowsiness overcomes you.
Comment by savtadotty — March 30, 2006 @ 10:32 am
hi i get sleepy after eating anything, not just sleepy though, also really fatigued as well. i have to lay down even if im in public. its embarrasing. i was wondering what chemical the body releases to make us tired after eating. anyone know? my doctors have no clue.
Comment by paul — April 10, 2006 @ 2:19 am
I’m struggling with this “sleepy after eating” thing right now. I ate an apple yesterday and 10 minutes later passed out on my friends couch for a half hour. I eat anything with wheat in it and I get dizzy.
My research (in my case) leads me to these possible causes:
Candida Albicans
Gluten Intolerance
Good luck.
Comment by Chris — April 17, 2006 @ 1:29 am
get your blood sugar tested im the same and im getting mine tested
Comment by andrea — April 20, 2006 @ 5:05 pm
I get overwhelmingly tired one hour after breakfast and lunch. I drink several cups of coffee prior to the onset and it doesn’t seem to make a difference. I get up from my desk and try to walk when the urge to sleep hits me, but have actually had my knees start to buckle as I walked.
Comment by Joe — April 25, 2006 @ 1:42 pm
Hi, i was surfing the web looking for further info on my condition when i saw your blog site, read the comments, and i can tell you tyhat you are suffering from Insulin Resistance, (also known as, Metabolic Syndrome or, Syndrome X).
My advice is to see your Medical Practicioner, and read the copious studies and papers on the web, hope this helps.
Comment by Pete Webb — May 19, 2006 @ 10:44 am
I have felt the same way as you have… And its really imbarrassing, I try not to eat something big like a salad and I have to take a nap, even if its for 15min. and I will wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go on with the day… I also have mentioned this to my Dr. and clueless. I have even tried energy pills with ephedra and my nap over comes anything…
Comment by Dee — June 16, 2006 @ 7:55 pm
I have exactly the same problem. About 15min after eating I fall asleep. Or at least get really sleepy. I always lose strength in my legs, feel totally exhausted and don’t care the slightest bit if I am in the middle of something important like going to a meeting, etc. I have studied my condition intensively for about half a year. What I have noticed while reading about different health conditions is almost all of them mention blood sugar/insuline/diabetes. I’ve done a thorough Polysomnography test. The diagnose was a mix of narcolepsy and hypersomnia. But the diagnose is more of an assumption, because the test did not show really strong & clear signs of narcolepsy. I also recommend looking into Mycoplasmosis/Mycoplasma Infection, Ureaplasma Infection, Lactose Intolerance, Gulf War Syndrome, Parasites. Also, try experimenting with different kinds of foods… I’ve noticed that anything refined or sweet (like icecream) makes my condition much-much worse.
PS! If someone has a thought about what’s going on with me, please share it! Thanks in advance!!
Comment by Chris — July 11, 2006 @ 9:25 am
It is refreshing to see that I am not alone! After eating any meal, small or large, I fall asleep within 15 minutes for at least 30 minutes. I DO have sleep apnea - use a machine at night, amd also have hight blood pressure and diabetes. I have been gaining weight so fast I can’t keep myself in clothing! Ireally need help BAD and soon - any other suggestions would be appreciated!
Comment by Nancy — July 21, 2006 @ 1:44 am
I also get very tired after eating. I find that if I fast during the day, I do not get sleepy and I have a lot more energy. I then eat a very large, but well balanced meal at night before bed. Getting used to the feeling of hunger during the day is the only bad part. Think of prehistoric man, hunting and or looking for food all day; he would eat most of his food at night. Endure the hunger as a “badge of courage” of sorts. I promise you will feel better, have more energy, and lose weight.
Comment by Gemma — August 3, 2006 @ 5:28 am
I am really concerned. I can sleep for hours. Sometimes I haven’t even finished my meal and I just need to lie down. I hope I find out soon what this problem is.
Comment by Ginette — August 9, 2006 @ 1:10 am
I rejoice to read this! I also have been hunting down the reason for this ailment, which has gotten progessively worse the past few months. My doctors put me on Lexapro for a while, thinking it only and anxiety issue . . . that worked sometimes, but not really. I need help. My thanks to everyone for a few more avenues to peruse . . .
Comment by britt — August 16, 2006 @ 12:19 am
Everyone,
You have nothing to worry about! Feeling sleepy after eating is because of two reasons:
1) Copious amounts of blood leave the brain in order to aid the digestion process of the digestive system which can result in fatigue or tiredness,
2) If you’ve had a meal which contains 30%-60% carbohydrates, starch, or sugars, this causes a rise in blood sugar and as a result insulin is released into your body. This in turn creates a chemical called trytophan which is the same chemical released that tells your brain to take a nap when you’re feeling tired.
Kunal Gandhi
Comment by Kunal Gandhi — August 23, 2006 @ 11:26 pm
I too get very very sleepy after I eat……I feel energized all day long and then when I eat…….that’s it for me. I’ll lay down for about 15 min to an hour and I am ok for awhile. It’s embarrasing. I thought all this was food allergies. Also, I have a yeast problem. I’ve been dealing with this for years though. Sometimes it’s worse then others.
Kristy
Comment by Kristy — August 30, 2006 @ 5:53 pm
Good to see this sharing of info. I have had this problem for years of getting EXHAUSTED after eating anything, even bacon and eggs. If I eat before 4 pm I get sleepy and exhausted. So exhausted I don’t know if I will even have enough energy to breath.
I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and was only border line with hypoglycimia. Gluten definately doesn’t help, but is there gluten in Oatmeal? That really cleans my clock.
I do feel like this is a food allergy, but which food is it? Yeast and Gluten make me hurt in the bones and also make me very tired.
Any help to get feeling better would be great. I am presently trying to get Social Security Disability I am so bad off.
Comment by Joe Austin — September 5, 2006 @ 1:10 pm
I’ve got this problem too, and I’ve had it for years. I’ve learned to eat a small lunch (which isn’t always effective) and then have a bigger dinner. But really I’m just forestalling the inevitable. Sure enough, after dinner, I can sleep for hours. It’s a real problem during the day time, when work requires productivity. I’ve found doing interactive, physical activities can help ward off fatigue. But if I have to read after eating, and this is usually the case, I’ll invariably fall asleep.
Comment by Justin — September 17, 2006 @ 8:22 am
I get so sleepy after I eat I feel horrible. I have been diagnosed years ago with
fibromyalgia but I think this might be a sugar problem. Although it doesn’t matter what i eat.
Comment by Sherry — September 18, 2006 @ 3:06 am
Hi,
If anyone is still reading this they might want to check out this link regarding the effects of neurotransmitters. I find this very interesting. I am going to experiment by limiting my calories and eating mostly lean proteins during the day and limit the carbs until the evening.
“Research on the connection between a person’s mood and the food he or she eats has revealed what many people have long believed, that eating a certain food can influence a person’s mood—at least temporarily. Research by Judith Wurtman, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has focused on how certain foods alter one’s mood by influencing the level of certain brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. While many other factors influence the level of these chemicals, such as hormones, heredity, drugs, and alcohol, three neurotransmitters—dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin—have been studied in relation to food, and this research has shown that neurotransmitters are produced in the brain from components of certain foods.”
http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Met-Obe/Mood-Food-Relationships.html
Best Of Luck!
Kind Regards,
Irene
Comment by Irene — September 26, 2006 @ 8:28 pm
This all looks pretty familiar to me. The problem started when I was 15, im now 32. Iv found three helpful catagories: diet, exercise & candida treatments.
diet is the difficult one: food intolerances can be difficult to nail down. milk protein gets added to so many things. I have just started college and now Im
practicing hatha yoga (the exercises) is probably the most simple, effective thing you can take up to improve health. Find a teacher that suits your ability, a class should be physically demanding.
Chinese exercises (qigong) approach the same problem in a slightly different way. I find static- standing pole exercises can be done to quickly dispel the tired feeling after eating lunch. finding a teacher is not so easy as in yoga, and im not impressed by the large amount of text on the web. the principle is to stand upright with mental lightness & alertness, but the bare minimum of muscle tension.
Candida treatments are fairly well documented on the web, so i wont go into them here.
Comment by dave — September 27, 2006 @ 5:43 pm
I also fall asleep 15 minutes after eating. I feel very guilty about doing this because this happens after
I eat a snack of say ice cream or two pieces of bread with butter when I come home from teaching. However,
it doesn’t really matter what I eat I pass out. Since the age of 12 I’ve felt this way, and when I was
in my 20’s was diagnosed with candida and hypoglycema so I know what I am suppossed to stay away from. Do I
listen, no, because I am addicted to sugar. Sugar Is nasty. If you want to read something that will help you
with this there are two books I recommend by the same author (1) Obseity, Cancer, Depression by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D. and (2)Your Body’s Many Cries for Water. I pray that you can fight this. God Bless. Patricia
Comment by Patricia Williams — September 29, 2006 @ 9:55 pm
15 to 30 minutes after eating I fall asleep. I have done since my late teens, although it happened before this too. Things got so bad that I used to sleep for 18 hours a day. And If i couldn’t lie down to sleep I would fall asleep even standing up at work! Then I discovered that if I didn’t eat breakfast, or anything else during the day, the problem didn’t arise. The problem, I thought at the time, was refined carbohyrates. In fact it happens with all carboyhrates refined or complex - wheat and grains make the condition even worse. However, by shear chance I happened to try another diet (for other reasons), and I found that the sleepiness after eating probelm vanished completely. I switched to a raw food diet. Now the problem doesn’t exist. I also found that to a lesser extent even protein, if cooked, is also to blame for this sleepiness. If food has to be cooked (or processed apart from being blended), then I shouldn’t be eating it. Contrary to what one might expect on such a diet, an increase in intestinal gas for instance, it just doesn’t happen! In fact it is the other way around. It takes about four days to work completely. And even although through eating copious amounts of raw fruit and vegtables eaten as is or blended first (and exceeding my previous calorific intake), my weight loss has been dramatic, and for the first time in years I feel alive, fit, healthy and awake.
Comment by Michael Sutherland — October 2, 2006 @ 7:56 pm
Well, since I hate eating raw vegetables, like a cow, I would simply prefer a pill. Somebody know one?
Comment by Mike Stern — December 13, 2006 @ 3:37 pm
It can be simply the amount of digestive processing involved in taking in the Nutrients. You want to see a real energy shocker. Drink a glass of whey protien and this will usualy give some energy not to long after drinking it, although maybe a little tired for some of you for a short while. Okay, try a Green Drink with Spirilina, Chlorela and so on. This will usualy provide energy with little fatigue. Now, try one after the other and watch the crash and burn. Add in B Vitamins and Minerals to that mix and you will head straight to your bed.
All of these things are supposed to provide energy, but a high enough concentration temporarily suck it out of you, and I believe this is simply because you are depleted relative to what your taking in. Just as a body cannot gain more energy from rest then it posseses, a common problem in Chronic Fatigue, the processing of things that should provide energy can have a similiar effect. Your body only has so much capacity to digest and process nutrients. This effect usualy shows up on Sugars first, then onto regular carbs, and finaly Protiens. I just had nothing but a half cup of Whey Protein and my vitamins. Took me down for 15 minutes. At night, after a Protien Dinner with Carbs in it, I am frequently out on the couch for 3 hours.
Comment by James Lenfers — January 23, 2007 @ 3:49 pm
Oh, and I forgot to add a preaty simple concept. When your eating, your taking in Energy. The body must use energy to process it. Think about how long it crashes you versus what you would get out of it energy wise latter on. The hunter that would sometimes go for days without killing something to eat. He probably crashed when he finaly got something in his stomach also.
The worst thing you can do is sugar. It is a net loss. It will crash you out completely unless your seriously healthy and have a big reserve to burn those negative calories. If you have a candida problem, it makes it even worse. Both feeding Candida, and killing Candida have the same effect, which is they put off a toxic gas that enters your blood stream and is very similiar to alchohol. Your depleteing yourself in energy reserve, and your essentialy making yourself somewhat drunk and will be somewhat hung over latter. Anyone see the parallel between the reaction of sugars, Candida and getting drunk on the effects while you do it, after you crash and how you feel getting up? Its a hangover.
Comment by James Lenfers — January 23, 2007 @ 3:59 pm
Does anyone get tired while reading a book or paper etc. I seems that it doesn’t matter how awake I am before sitting down to read I always get tired. It doesn’t even have to be after a meal. Any answers.
Comment by Elaine — February 18, 2007 @ 6:19 pm
I am 53 years old and in excellent health, as far as I know. In the past 3 months I have developed a bizarre “condition”. Within 10 to 30 minutes after eating I “fall-out”…it is almost a “narcoleptic” reaction. It doesn’t seem to matter what foods I have eaten. I have fallen asleep in restuarants! It is unaffected by caffeine! Moments before I “fall-out”, I have a very slight dull headache…not even enough to warrant an aspirin; but have noticed this happens. In reading “across-the-net”, I tend to think this candida thing warrants looking-into. I have pretty much eliminated the sugar & refined foods theory! I have tried to talk to several doctors about this and they do not seem concerned! Very disheartening, because this condition is affecting not only my sleep pattern but my entire life!
Comment by Rae — March 7, 2007 @ 11:43 pm
I dont get tired after i eat, but i did notice tonight, that if i eat anything with lactose in it, i get a kind-of drunk feeling about me. I ate a bun tonight (home made, with yeast and milk and stuff) and about 30 minutes after, i felt like i was drunk; i had a hard time standing straight (or still for that matter), i slurred, when people talked to me they sounded like they were speaking gibberish, and my driving took a drastic turn for the worst!
No idea what this is, but I have noticed it once before too… I ate a chicken salad with cheese in it, and a bit later, i felt drunk, same symptoms as listed before, but i was with a group of friends, so i didnt notice it as bad as this time (by myself)
Comment by Steve — March 18, 2007 @ 4:23 am
this all to me is tooo familar. .
none of the doctors i see seem to be concerned with my falling asleep after eating. its not just eating either its water too. my husband and i had a theory that it was ice water in restaurants but no . . we tried me eating just plain chicken same thing.
the greatest help to me is just not eating. Dont get me wrong i LOVE LOVE LOVE food . .im in no way an anorexic person. (doesnt help weightloss anyway body just stores food) but its the only way i can stay awake all day. i am alittle tired but i have more energy then i ever do with food.
(slight problem is the sick feeling i get instead hunger) but i do eat at night then pass out 5 to 15minutes later and stay asleep unfortunately sometimes in my food . .
oh little note. that three hour diet thingy worked JUST a little bit not much. the small small snacks help sometimes as long as they arnt “crap food”
Comment by cassandra — March 19, 2007 @ 3:17 am
I have the same problem. In my last job, after eating lunch I would have to go and sit in the ladies toilets for ten minutes with my head on my knees trying to stay awake. It is a particular problem if I eat bread, pasta, cakes or cookies. If I eat half a packet of cookies at home then I am out cold asleep for an hour or more.It affects my mood too and if I’m not sleeping I feel grouchy and irritable afterwards.Its reassuring to hear that I’m not the only person with this problem.
Comment by Lola — April 16, 2007 @ 6:01 pm
I’m so grateful to have found this site. My friends and family think I am insane. I have had test after test to figure out my extreme exhaustion and pretty severe depression after eating virtually anything/everything. This has been going on for over 20 years. In many ways, it has ruined my social life. I have fixed this problem like many of you, by just not eating until I get home from work so I can stay alert and do my job. Then I crash after that one meal. My doctor is trying Wellbutrin with me for the neurotransmitters and it is not making
a dent. A friend is suggesting going to an Endocrinologist. Will that help?
Comment by Teresa Shannon — May 9, 2007 @ 9:24 pm
I get the same thing - it’s a heck of a lot worse if I have something from Greggs, however, my eyes lids feel like they have lead weights on them when I am taking in information also - wierd!
Would be nice to know if there was a cure for this.
Mak
Comment by Mak — July 2, 2007 @ 12:03 pm
Thought this may help:
http://sleepdisorders.about.com/od/causesofsleepdeprivation/a/sleepdebt_2.htm
Mak
Comment by Mak — July 2, 2007 @ 12:39 pm
I’m so glad I found this. I’m struggling with this also. I will look into the things you all have suggested and see the doctor a.s.a.p! Thanks: )
Comment by Cheryl — September 11, 2007 @ 6:45 pm
Well, i’m just sitting a my desk in work with the heavy eyes and had late breakfast 10am and its only 12.20 midday, feeling really sleepy. So here i am checking the internet. I had to go fasting this morning (getting my thyroid and lipids (cholesterol) checked. One thing is that i have noticed on this site is that many of you have gone to the doctors but have many of you been tested for an under-active thyroid gland. It would be interesting to know if this is the case. I understand all your symptoms, but its a bit weird lately that in the last six months (i have suffered in the past with an under and over active thyroid gland) my thyroid has been normal and i have been taken off my medication. I did find that when i was over-active, i had all this energy, needed very little sleep and had a voracious appetite. No weight gain, in fact loss weight. No sleepy feeling then. When under-active…lethargic, heavy eyes after eating and feeling like i could sleep after every meal plus weight gain even when eating healthily. Right now i feel like i am under-active so it will be interesting to find out what the tests reveal next week. I’ll come back and let you all know. Take care for now, Paula x
Comment by Paula — September 26, 2007 @ 12:40 pm
Also, when we consume a meal which contains carbs, they’re converted into sugars. Our blood glucose levels increase, which is the cause of the initial hyperactivity. But the body’s homeostatic mechanism then comes into play in order to lower the glucose levels. In doing so, the glucose levels go down below the “baseline” before coming back to normal. This is the reason why the drowsiness goes away after a while.
Comment by Adil — September 28, 2007 @ 6:28 pm
I had this problem bigtime, and I got rid of it and feel SOOOO good all the time now.
Try going gluten free for a few days. No pasta, bread, cookies, soy sauce, cereals (even Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies contain gluten from barley malt). If your sleepy problem dramatically improves, you may have gluten intolerance or have Celiac disease.
Then get back on gluten and ask for a blood test for antigliadin antibodies.
Finding out I had Celiac changed my life for the better - the improvement in my energy is SOO worth the difficult dietary change.
There are gluten free cookies, etc. - you just have to go to a Whole Foods type store to buy them.
Comment by Gluten Free — September 30, 2007 @ 3:26 am
Hiya, well i’m back again to inform you all that i’ve now got my results for my thyroid test and cholesterol test. Thyroid level is 11.5 and cholesterol 4.7. Both results are normal. I am now convinced it has to be a combination of sleep deprivation and carbohydrate intake. Anyway, i am feeling alot better since i have mostly been eating a lot of vegetables and chicken/fish. Also on Wednesday night last (Wed 26th Sep07) I went for an 8 mile walk. I felt like a million dollars apart from the muscle fatigue the next day. When i ate pasta yesterday (Sun 30th Sep07), I did feel tired and believe it or not fell asleep on the sofa at home. It must take a lot of energy to maybe digest this type of food. Does anyone know of this? Last week when i decided to cook some stirfries, i didn’t feel tired and was able to face the evening with cleaning and ironing. I even went visiting some friends. Its really strange, i do think diet and exercise and sleep have a lot to do with this feeling you get after eating. Today for lunch i had a fillet of chicken with side salad and felt good too. Not at all tired. I wonder though, can the body do without carbs full-time? What did the cavemen do way back when they had to hunt for food? Didn’t look like they ate a lot of carbs now did it! Ok ok, bet they starved a bit too. Aren’t we so lucky to be able to put our hands in the fridge or cupboard and just reach for something to eat! Any feedback would be good, take care folks, Paula
Comment by Paula — October 1, 2007 @ 3:34 pm
Wow! I can’t believe I found this thread. I have suffered for yrs w/this prob.
I have to run for an appt. but will be back to add some of my own experience and keep this subject alive.
Later, Jr.-hope there’s some more info/people checking in.
Comment by Jr. — October 15, 2007 @ 4:47 pm
Hey, YOU can’t believe you found this thread? This problem has been an issue for me for over 2 years. I have been late for appointments, missed important events, simply because I ate a meal, a realativley small one and passed out. At times I did not even have the energy to put my plate away after a meal, just crashed where I was. I hold off from eating if I have to drive or have an important meeting because I know when I eat..it’s over. My friends and Doctor don’t understand this. I also feel this has something to do with carbs, bread, chips…yet my doctor says my blood tests are fine. I’ve just woken up from one of my comma sleeps and am fed up! PLEASE HELP!
Comment by Jen, Toronto — October 16, 2007 @ 5:59 am
Jen, Try avoiding simple carbs/sugars. If I have oatmeal and toast, I will fall asleep afterwards.(I’m toast) If I have a salad, I will be energized and clear-headed! Same goes for corn flakes or cream of wheat.
You might have an allergy or intolerance to sugar and/or wheat.(or gluten) Try having just a green salad for a meal, and see how you feel. That will give you some idea of the problem.
Things got so bad for me that I got hooked on pain pills to get over the fatigue/depression that resulted. This only exasperated the situation big time!
Try the salad only and check back. Good luck…..Jr.
Comment by Jr. — October 17, 2007 @ 3:27 am
I’ve been dealing with this since I was a teenager, and I’m 50 now. Just in the last 2 years I decided it must be food intolerances, so I cut out gluten and dairy and chocolate, and saw a great improvement in energy level, not falling asleep when I’m driving, not feeling like falling asleep every single time I sit down. Occasionally I experiment with one of these foods to see if they still bother me (actually I just give in to the cravings every once in awhile), and the results are pretty dramatic. Even on the restricted diet I still have problems if I have to sit in a meeting after lunch, however.
Comment by Marilyn — October 19, 2007 @ 10:15 am
I have had this problem (is it really a social problem? oh those day people!.. they want you awake all day - LOL). I get very tired and sleepy 5 to 10 minutes after eating and want to sleep. When I can sleep (I only work 3 days a week) then I do, and it is the most restfull sleep ever. I sleep better after eating and it’s a GOOD sleep. For the most part it’s been with me all my life; changing diet never altered the eat/tired process at all. If I have to work during the day, I simply do not eat in the morning, and have a yogurt or light lunch. Not eating all day and eating well at night hasn’t harmed my health. Sleeping after eating hasn’t harmed my health. I think it’s normal for some people. Hip Hip Hurrah for us! We’re an odd bunch maybe, but if we’d just quit worrying about it and enjoy our oddities, all would be fine… wouldn’t it?
Comment by Jean — October 23, 2007 @ 10:24 pm
Oh BTW, I’m 57 and for those that think coffee or tea can help.. haha, I can have two cups with dinner and nod off immediately afterward.
Comment by Jean — October 23, 2007 @ 10:29 pm
Paula.. I just read your post. Yes, I am hypothyroid, always have been and take levothyroxine or whatever fad suppliment the doctors have deemed best this year! Euthroid, synthroid… etc, armour, the combo T3/T4 pills whatever… I’ve had hypothyroidism all my life, keep a pretty close check on the levels by testing, and think it was caused by nuclear testing (radioactive Iodine fallout) around Nevada/Utah in the 1950’s where I lived as a child.
Comment by Jean — October 23, 2007 @ 10:43 pm
Ok, I feel like a real post-hogger, this’ll be my last post, I promise. There’s a cool site to determine your exposure to fallout from nuclear testing in the USA depending on where you lived during certain periods — http://ntsi131.nci.nih.gov/default.asp — (after 1971 there is no risk of exposure) You’d be surprized how much of it drifted off into other states.
Comment by Jean — October 23, 2007 @ 10:48 pm
I also fall asleep after eating. I am an insulin dependent diabetic and thought it had something to do with my diabetes. I have been falling asleep between one and three hours after I eat since I was 13. All of my doctors just tell me “oh everyone needs a nap”. I even had one doctor tell me I better stop telling people about it or someone might take my driver’s license away. I am about to graduate from nursing school and don’t want this problem to affect my work life. When I pass out, I could be asleep for hours and when i wake up my blood sugar is really high and I feel nauseated, heavy and I have a metallic taste in my mouth. For the longest time I thought I was having seizures, but that was recently ruled out as was narcolepsy. I have never fallen asleep driving, but I fall asleep in every single one of my classes, anytime I am sitting down reading or even charting during my clinical hours. I feel like I need a babysitter to keep me awake and to keep me from killing one of my patients by sleeping on the job. I am so glad I found this site, but I wish I knew a way to help myself. I have to eat carbs to keep my blood sugar up. And i also have to eat three meals a day so not eating is not an option for me. If anyone comes across any ideas please post them. I am starting to feel like I went to four years of college for a job I can’t work.
Comment by Elizabeth — November 7, 2007 @ 5:28 pm
I’ve had this problem too. The ONLY time the sleepiness disappeared was when I was on the Atkins (or any low-carb) diet. It was the most amazing feeling ever! I had energy throughout the entire day. It was sooo nice to be able to eat without falling asleep or feeling sluggish. It definitely has to do with the carby foods.
Comment by Anna — November 8, 2007 @ 5:38 am
I’ve had this problem too. It does not matter what I eat how much I eat or when I eat. I usually never make it through a meal because its like i black out while eating……no alcohol or drugs involved. I just notice getting sleepy while eating next thing i remmber is waking up in my plate or if laying on couch eating snack food still in my hand example…..apple, popcorn, cookie or carrots doest matter. If I am out in public the urge becomes so great to sleep and my eyes so heavy i can fall asleep standing up. If I feel it coming on and try and force myself to stay awake it becomes physically painful and I loose the battle anyway. I used to be a nurse. Very diet oriented so I know Its not eating the wrong thing. Its just the act of eating. I have suffered from this for many years im 43 now and its just getting worse. I have had many tests een been put into hospital for a week of observation ect and that cant figure out why. Its a very scarey feeling knwing you are going to go into a coma like state if you eat and not have any recall. I dont eat out or during day if by myself or have to drive socialize ect. It has affected every part of my life. I have seen many specialists. I am lucky i one aspect the have not given up they keep trying to get to root of problem……Hopefully someday…..GOODLUCK TO YOU ALL
Comment by sue — November 12, 2007 @ 2:17 am
A problem so embarrassing when I would eat out with friends. After the meal. we would be having a leisurely coffee while talking about things and then my chin would fall down. my eyes would close…my friends would wake me 15 minutes later with “Time to go, time to go.”
After medical tests, the doctor diagnosed “sleep apnea”. The treatment is well documented on the web.It’s worth trying.It helped a lot!
Comment by Claudia — November 21, 2007 @ 3:41 am
I am so happy I found this website because now I don’t feel so alone. Over the months, almost passing out with fork in hand has become progressively worse. I’ve had my thyroid checked, blood work done, CT Scan, all came back perfectly normal. Dr. kept putting me on different anti-depressants which was only making me sleep more. I went from sleeping about 12 hours a day to 18 hours a day! I kept telling Dr. that I didn’t feel depressed, but I felt SICK ….like someone would just drain the blood from my body. I get so tired after I eat that I literally can’t hold my head up. I can feel it hit me and I know I have about 10 minutes……then I pass out and wake up feeling like I’ve been in a month long drug-induced coma. Sometimes I can wake up, eat…..and I’m out again. Not for a few minutes, but sometimes 6 hours later! I just caught on a few weeks ago that what I eat has been the problem. Now I barely eat and I feel great..but I’m STARVING! Seems carbs make it way worse. I have not worked in 2 months because of this. My sleep pattern is wrecked! Hope to find the real problem soon. Good luck to you all!
Comment by Amy — November 21, 2007 @ 11:46 am
I have this problem too. It started about 7 years ago. I become exhausted before my 30 min lunch is over. I know it is diet related because I don’t always eat at the same time, due to my job, but it is a given it will happen. I mean my body feels like a ton of bricks and my brain just shuts down. I have been dx’d with narcolepsy and hypopnea, and also gastroparesis and insomnia! What a blend huh? I have tried taking foods out, putting others in, no results. So for now, I drink a slim fast and starve the rest of the day! Good luck to everybody!!!!
Comment by Dottie — November 28, 2007 @ 6:13 pm
I have a similar problem. I have become scared to go out to eat lately.Instead of feeling like I’m falling asleep though I feel like I could really black out. I have to stop eating immediately (even if I am still hungry) and just sit there. I can’t talk or hold a conversation because I feel like I’m on the verge of blacking out. I have been diagnosed with orthostatic intolerance. ( Slow return of blood flow when I stand up) etc. and some of the info I’ve read say that people with this condition must eat small meals because the blood goes to you stomach when you are eating and trying to digest and that takes away from what is available to go back to your head and other organs. I don’t know if this is the same thing or something different. But it is scary and annoying and frustrating.
does anyone else feel like they might have a seizure or black out? not just a sleepy feeling. I have not had a seizure but I feel like it has been right on the verge of one. It is a miserable feeling.
Comment by jess — December 6, 2007 @ 2:29 am
I’ve suffered off and on with the apres-meal sleepiness issue for decades. I also frequently feel weak, irritable, and just sort of overall “strange” and “light” before a meal on some occasions if I have not eaten for several hours. Not sure how to describe “light” other than I don’t feel strong but rather sort of “wobbly”, and I don’t “feel” the blood pumping throguh me, and I feel ever-so-slightly off balance, things like that. In the worst cases, I would even say I am in effect almost an entirely different person/personality before I eat than after. At times a meal has made me feel like I have been drugged — with something powerful enough to put me out. I believe for me it is very likely an issue of blood sugar, though I was tested a couple of times many years ago and I seemed to be in the normal range, but not optimal. I notice it gets worse in the winter when I spend much more time indoors and inactive, eating more unhealthy food. I’ve been having definite sleepiness problems after eating recently, so I changed to eat only salads, lean protein and vegetables, and I have NO sugary sweet stuff. I also take long walks whenever I can. I already feel better after only 3 or 4 days — not great, but a bit better. The problem is that once I get to feeling better I tend to go back to my old ways of lots of sweets and snacks and little exercise, and the cycle starts over. My advice to every single one of you who does not know of a specific problem and is experimenting with self-treatment — Try this - very limited amounts of processed carbs and sweets (including white bread, pasta, etc.), lots of lean protein, and decent amounts of fruits and vegetables. And, a lot of exercise. I don’t mean strenuous exercise. I suggest doing something much less strenuous, but do it for a lengthy period of time. Long leisurely walks work wonders for me, and I can even make it intense if I want to do so. Coincidentally, I’m writing this 30 - 60 minutes after I ate lunch today, which was a “big salad” (a la Elaine Bennis), and I have felt only a little drowsiness. Everyone has different biochemistry, and with food allergies, celiac, diabetes - and I’m sure there a multitude of other ailments - it is so tough to know what is going on with oneself and how to treat it. I think you start with the the basics - diet and exercise - and go from there.
Comment by Jay — December 7, 2007 @ 8:22 pm
Hi;
It is so good to meet people who are experiencing this. I am self-employed so this falling to sleep after I eat is costly in terms of time management. I sometimes fall asleep while I’m chewing and can sleep for a many as 3 or 4 hours. I do much better if I don’t eat. If I am facilitating a weekend treat _ Friday thru Sunday - I just don’t eat. When I don’t eat, my energy is high and my thinking is sharp but food drag me and puts me to sleep. It more like a drug. I’ve slept in my computer chair for a many as 8 hours, If during that time, I wake up, I can’t get up and go to be because I am in such a state of sleep. I never know what foods are going to trigger the sleepiness. I eat. I’m awake then I’m sleep. Most of the time there is no warning - not time to transition. I go from one state to the other. It use to be related to just carbohydrates but now it everything. I’v been a non-meat eating vegetarian for 30 years. I’ve done raw foods. Anyway, just talking this with you is so helpful. Thanks! Have a good day.
Take care
Y
Comment by Yvonne — December 14, 2007 @ 5:08 pm
“ask for a blood test for antigliadin antibodies”
I took this test and it came back high. There is a possibility I have Celiacs. The next step was a biopsy of my small intestine OR stop eating gluten. I chose to stop eating gluten. This is my second day gluten/wheat free. I still had two crashes today, breakfast and lunch. Should I see a difference yet?
-J
Comment by Justin — December 18, 2007 @ 2:20 am
Hi J;
I joined this celiac group. As a result, I stopped eating wheat and gluten but after a few days, I was falling to sleep after meals. I think its because many of the gluten free-wheat free foods are high in carbs and sugar. Much of the sugar is natural but my body doesn’t seem to make the distinction, I feeling pretty discouraged this morning because I had a reaction to food yesterday and I am feeling the effects now which is means I’m not getting much done.
I never had the test. My last name is “uninsured.” The people in the group who’d had the test, still had to figure out how to manage their diets. I’m not putting the test down. I’m just saying it seems not to be definitive. I’m really sick of this. Thanks for lending your ears.
Have a good day. Take care
Y
Comment by Yvonne — December 18, 2007 @ 7:46 pm
I am 63 and this condition is relatively new with me, starting a year or two ago, but now has become chronic. I don’t just get sleepy after eating, I literally feel drugged, weak, and totally exhausted and unable to function and MUST lie down. And I sleep for anywhere from 2-3 hours, and although I get up, I remain sleepy for the rest of the day. I have fibromyalgia and thought possible this might be chronic fatigue syndrom. This is really interfering with my life as I have things to do. And in all honesty, it can be dangerous when driving, etc. I have had to pull over and sleep because I literally can’t stay awake. It is embarrassing and people think I’m lazy!!! I’ve tried B12 and chromium, drinking strong coffee, and considered asking my doctor for diet pills because they rev up your metabolism. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Carolyn
Comment by carolyn lovelace — December 31, 2007 @ 8:45 pm
I, too, have something of the sort. its awful. After I eat (as all of you) I become COMPLETELY exhausted, like a total fog over my brain and body. I can barely walk, I stumble into things, and my eyes involuntarily close. It isnt “tired” its like…a complete and total body sedation. Its so debilitating. So if I dont eat all day, I’m shaky and my heart pounds, but at least I can move. Later in the evening it seems I can eat a huge meal if I like with mostly just the tired symptoms that comes as expected with eating alot of food. I honestly dont know what to do. And I know it isn’t my thyroid or blood sugar level, as I’ve had those tested. Oh god.
Comment by t — January 16, 2008 @ 10:05 pm
I have a thyroid complaint. “Hashimoto’” which means a form of autoimmune hypothyroidism. The body’s antibodies destroy the thyroid.
It is found by testing the thyroid antiboidies in the blood. When tested mine were very high but my TSH, thryoid stimulating hormone, test were so called “normal” for along time. I am on 175mm Levoythyroxine and have a high T4 and an abnormally low TSH and T3 and feel fine normally but sometimes get a feeling of weakness in the legs and tiredness after eating.
My diabetes tests are OK. Sometimes it is relieved by eating a cracker.
My Doctor says all my tests are OK but I wondered if it could be anything to do with the adrenals. I do take corticosteroids sometimes for my asthmas and wondered if there could be a connection. Does anyone out there know if there is a connection?
Comment by Jill — January 19, 2008 @ 8:39 pm
So, starting off i would like to say what everyone else says. I have the same problem. I am 21 years old, weigh 155, workout at least 3 times a week(running 3 miles at least), am 5′10″, and i have a time consuming lifestyle but manage to get 8 hours of sleep a night. So here are the symptoms
Mojor:
Exhaustion 15-60 min after I eat.
Headache and drowsiness
excessive fatigue
migraines
Minor:
anxiety
increased sex drive
inability to think clearly
mood swings
depression
dizziness
poor memory
muscle weakness
irritability
Now to make this clear, the symptoms that I really want to get rid of are the Major symptoms. I believe more than anything that this is a sleeping disorder, because I haven’t been able to get a regular nights sleep since i was 13 and I am now 21. Also its not that I dont get enough sleep, but when I don’t get enough, then the fatigue kicks in twice as hard.
What I have found is that I can eat anything and not have any symptoms if i eat it and have a beer with it. I have no idea why but whenever I have to stay awake and dont have the time to be physically active then having a beer will help me with that. also coffee doesnt work but rockstar and enviga do work. Coffee actually makes the situation ten times worse and no matter what…15 min after i have even the smallest amount of coffee i feel like complete shit.
For me I have found that the Remedies for this condition are
beer(only if it is late and you are hungry)
enviga(is addictive)
rockstar(is addictive)
The reason why I am posting is because I am looking for other possible remedies that are not alcoholic or addictive. And for anyone who wants to change their diet, all you need are proteins and carbohydrates. Any extra calories are the calories that put you asleep.
PS. Thanksgiving sucks…two years ago i slept for 46 hours out of 48. For the two hours i was awake, i was eating.
Comment by Joe — January 20, 2008 @ 7:41 pm
Hi guys,
I have had a similar problem for a few years however not as severe as what some of you are experiencing. About 6 months ago, I visited a Naturopath to begin a weight loss program and she explained to me how when we eat a lot of carbs our insulin levels drop and therefore become tired. By cutting down on my carb intake (no bread, pasta, etc) and only ate carbs through fruit and veg, and eating Low GI foods, this dramatically helped my tiredness after eating, esp in the afternoons. Perhaps visit a Naturpath and discuss this with them further. Regular Dr’s don’t really get into this as much as its not “standard medicine”! Having said this tho, I still have a problem of feeling extremely sleepy when reading a book (I can only get through a max of 2 chapters) or when I am driving long distance! Any suggestions? Thanks…..and Good Luck!
Comment by Suzan — January 29, 2008 @ 10:40 am
well, same as everyone, I too get tired after eating.
Diagnosed w/ Celiac 5 years ago but didn’t follow gluten free diet completely, just some.
Gained about 15 lbs in a year.
Re-diagnosed, now have followed GF diet completely.
Gained 10 MORE lbs in the last year.
Thyroid problems? Maybe. Getting checked next week.
Comment by Lynn — February 6, 2008 @ 7:54 pm
I’ve had this problem for a long time. My strategy for dealing with it is to take a micro-nap. I’ve found that if I close my eyes for no more than 7 minutes–in fact, as long as I pass into a real “sleep” state, which can take as little as two or three minutes–I can then function at full capacity another six to eight hours. I can usually snap awake after a micro-dream on my own but I also set a cell-phone or wristwatch alarm to ensure I don’t go into deep sleep. Anyway, that seems to reset my sleep clock or flush the insulin or whatever. Try it, I swear by it.
Comment by Geedavey — February 18, 2008 @ 7:59 pm
HI, I’ve been reading this after going to my Docs. She’s quite helpful but has absolutely no interest in even discussing the food aspects of any health issues I might have.
I had this problem on and off in big long bouts for nearly 30 years.
Tested for Narcolespy and told I was mildly depressed. Told them to stuff that diagnosis (as it was in the days of that being preceived as a ‘mental disease’
Would fall asleep after going to the works canteen and reduced problem by not eating there at lunch. Did spend a few evenings watching video credits with the boyfiend and falling asleep after a meant to be romantic meal.
Was ‘diagnosed’ as sub-clinical underactive thyroid and the medication worked well apart from the weight gain I was suffering.
This bout has been around for about a month but I have just twigged that it coincided with a bout of bad gas. I have been meaning to get some lactobaccillus sporengei but it was out of stock. I gave in an bought some Yakult today as a stop gap even though I get mild arthritis flare ups in my finger joints.
Reading the comments on Candida and the energy needed to digest food, I am hoping that my problem is actually an absorbtion issue.
Maybe I am not absorbing the right stuff as my gut flora is out of wack and I need to strip my body of stuff to deal with digestion and it is too slow to allow my body to regulate insulin properly.
I rarely eat gluten, carbs alone and can get the problem with a plain bowl of salad.
Off to do a week’s testing. Thanks for all the posting of symptoms everyone. If I don’t fix this the medical profession have no chance, bless ‘em.
Comment by KRH — February 22, 2008 @ 7:53 pm
Got same problem here… so bad that I can barely finish a meal without crashing out… especially if it carb-rich… Biggest difficulty for me is that I have Borderline Personality Disorder, so when that post-eating slump hits my mood just goes through the floor… It’s having such a really bad effect on my life…. Tried pretty much everything, but the only thing that works is not eating.
Comment by Dave — February 24, 2008 @ 8:56 pm
Hi all, for me, I have the same condition.. fall asleep about 1 hr after eating. I have been allergy tested and my falling asleep coorlates to my being allergic to certain foods.. a lot of them. It is very hard to avoid everything that I am allergic to (milk, wheat, soy, and many other foods. Good luck..
Comment by David — February 26, 2008 @ 8:43 pm
I too have been experiencing all of the symptoms described by all of you. I get so tired and the brain fog drives me crazy. Doctors don’t have a clue these days. I was extremely fatigued today after eating brown rice and red kidney bean caserole. No gluten or wheat!!!! Was so incredibly tired. A soon as I ate my dinner I perked up enormously. Any suggestions as to what this could be?
Comment by Trish — March 6, 2008 @ 9:48 am
I am so glad that I found you all. I am also fatigue and sleepy after meals, specially when I eat breads or sugar. So, I eat it only on weekends when I have time for a nap.
Years ego I tried cleansing diet, that lasted 25 days, and then after loosing 26 lbs, I felt like 20 years old again (I was about 42). I could run tree flies of stairs and my body felt so “clean.” The diet was very hard to stick to, but I did it. For breakfast I had only fruits (the simple sugars provide quit energy), for lunch starches (like brown rise) and leafy greens, and for supper, again leafy greens with protein (salmon or tofu). Nothing from animals; no dairy, no eggs, no meat, no spices, no tea or coffee. All the fruits and veggies are organic. Everything was steamed, not cooked. It doesn’t have any taste but it is only 25 days. And of course 64 oz per day – water. Nothing processed or refined. At the beginning I was hungry most of the time, but after a week or so, my body adjusted, and it was OK. Also I did yoga, and some Japanese stretching.
After 25 days, you can add spices, onion, garlic, herb or green tea, and some coffee, but stay away from processed foods, and non-organic produce. Also remember, the meats and the produce in the supermarkets are full of chemicals and all of it changes our bio-chemistry. So, all the problems that you mentioned, with neurotransmitters, hormones, enzymes, are strongly connected with chemicals that we eat, and at the same time we alter our bio-chemical balance. Once we out of balance then all the allergies start affecting our health. If you stop here for a second, and think that we are a part of nature, don’t you believe that we should be in harmony with it? If so, why so many people are allergic to natural things (pets hairs, feathers, pollen)? We should be allergic to chemicals that are in processed food, or all the plastics, polyesters and similar artificial products that are surrounding us. If prehistoric people would suffer similar allergies, we wouldn’t be here.
This diet is hard, and I am thinking about doing this again, but with my family it is even harder, because they expect traditional home cooked meals. We are eating as good as possible, none of my family members have any allergy but still there are some things that we should eliminate from our diet. Unfortunately we are weak, and bad habits take over very often.
I hope that finding you all will give me the strength to start this diet again, and then I will let you know if it worked.
Pills are easy quick fix, but I am afraid, that while fixing one problem they create another.
Comment by Maryla — March 6, 2008 @ 3:08 pm
Hey, I just found this thread doing a google search after my noon hour “nap”. It seems at least 50 other people in the world have the same problem as I do. 15-20 minutes after eating (doesn’t matter what it is I eat) I find myself literally passing out. It’s like I’m drugged.
I’ve had this problem steadily for the past 10 years or so. It’s cost me jobs. It’s nearly caused me car accidents. It probably contributed to the break-up of more than a few relationships. My kids get frustrated with me. I get frustrated with myself as I only see them a few hours a week and a lot of that time I’m sitting there on the couch sleepy, dopey, or just plain out cold. I don’t want to do things with them when I’m like that, all I want to do is sleep. Then later after they’re gone home to their mom’s again, I feel terrible, like I wasted pressure hours. Yet it’s not my fault, is it?
I’ve had all kinds of tests done, from sleep tests to diabetes. The sleep tests came back normal. The diabetes test showed me with slightly high blood sugar, but the doctor recommended me to control it with regular exercise. I’m not even on insulin.
There seems to be an awful lot of suggestions here though, some of them contradictory. The one suggestion I read seems to be what’s going on with me–insulin resistance. I did a search on that and it seems to be exactly what’s happening. All the symptoms are there. I am overweight by about 50 lbs or so (possibly as a result of this condition as well as aggrivating it).
What I noticed really helps is keeping active. Keep moving after you eat. Keep on your feet. Go for a walk. The sleepiness hits hardest as soon as I sit down, whether it’s to watch a movie, work on the computer, or drive my car. If I avoid sitting, I’m not overwhelmed by it as much. I need to get out for walks, at least half an hour a day. I need to build muscle and lose fat so that the sugar I take in doesn’t “drug me”. It takes discipline to get into a diet and exercise plan, but the frustration of having pieces of my life stolen from me with excessive fatigue will build my determination.
Wish me luck.
Comment by Kevin — March 12, 2008 @ 7:07 pm
One thing I have found helpful is when eating carbs such as breads or pastas (which are what bother me) also drinking a water that is spiked with extra oxygen. You can get them at a lot of health food stores now. There are several different brands but the one I like has 10 times the oxygen one normally finds in water. The best are in glass bottles as that is suppose to cause them to hold the oxygen better than if they are in plastic bottles. Try it once and see if it helps.
Comment by Jerome — March 17, 2008 @ 1:32 am
I have suffered from extreme tiredness in the past, especially if I ate carbohydrates lunch time, I would often just go back to bed and sleep all afternoon. I had blood tests at the doctors but nothing was wrong, even though my mother and sister have an underactive thyroid which causes fatigue and weight gain, I apparently haven’t got that. So I went to a private clinic in London to have other blood tests because I started reading alot of health books especially by Patrick Holford who specialises in health. The clinic I went to took blood tests for vitamin concentrations in my blood and it was found that I was severely lacking in B Vitamins (which are the energy vitamins) and Zinc also I had seratonin tests which were low. So I was advised to take a great deal of the lacking Vitamins so now I do, I take 100 grammes to 200 grammes of all the B Vitamins every day plus a very good multi Vitamin, plus 5 HTP for seratonin, all these extra potent Vitamins I got from Holland and Barrett or ordered from the net, but you should look at Patrick Holfords web site because you can order from links with his site. Anyway I have alot more energy now and never go back to bed in the afternoon, I also try not to eat carbohydrates lunch time. B Vitamins are robbed from the body if you have alot of stress or drink too much alcohol and there are alot of other things that take B Vitamins out of the body like the contraceptive pill and smoking. For everyone out there who gets tired alot of the time like I was I really recommend doing a thorough research on these vitamins and having blood tests through clinics that specialise in these type of blood tests. Also drinking alot of water can give you more energy, if you are tired try drinking a couple of pints of cold water, it could be that you are dehydrated, this also causes fatigue.
Best wishes
Ann
Comment by Ann — March 22, 2008 @ 12:04 am
Thank goodness I’m not alone with this! Just surfaced after a bowl of cornflakes sent me semi- concious for the last hour & half. I’m 44 and have suffered with this since childhood. As a child I had a raging thirst, particularly after carbs, then after school lunch would be feeling semi concious and totally unable to do anything other than doze off or stagger to the drinking fountain. All tests for diabetes and throid problems came back negative. I’ve always struggled to lose weight, resorting to a bowl of greens a day in order to keep in shape when air hostessing and after a candida diagnosis in my late 20s, embraced the whole alternative route, with radical changes to my diet including cutting out dairy wheat etc and sticking to a low sugar diet. This worked for a bit, but any stress or viral illnesses and back to square one. I’ve had endoscopies, a hydrogen test at Addenbrooks (they give you a sugar solution and measure the hydrogen levels throughout the afternoon. Mine were off the scale ( and that was on a day when I was feeling good!) There can be an anti social element to this (if you know what I mean!!) and my stomach often burns. I see a resonance homeopath and have spent a fortune just trying to maintain a reasonable state of health - frustrating as in many other ways i’m as strong as an ox and was a keen horsewoman, with my own horses which i am now having to contemplate giving up as when i’m well i can cope, but its sheer hell trying to cope at times like this. 6 years ago I was also diagnosed with fybromyalgia - interested to see this seems to be a fairly common component of this problem. It seems to point to a malabsorbtion or metabolic insufficiency which means the whole chemical process is faulty and food is not being absorbed or used correctly hence sleepiness, muscle pain, bloating etc. Surely some enlightened doctor must be working on this - one shouldn’t have to starve in order to feel well! Any advice would be gratefully received!
Comment by Vicky — March 22, 2008 @ 8:48 pm
HI. I see I’m not alone. My sleepy feeling after eating wasn’t always like this until 3 yrs ago. I noticed after eating cereal, drinking milk that I’ll get this dizzy feeling, headache, weakness and extremely fatigue. To the point I would have to lay down. I would fall asleep and wake up refreshed. The sleepy feelings(along with the other symptoms) would come on after 10-15 of eating foods such as the ones above and oatmeal, cheese, fried foods. But mostly it seems like it will happen worse with foods with milk like cakes or starchy foods like pasta. I can’t even eat these things anymore. My Dr. is clueless. Then why is she a DOCTOR THEN. After reading stories from this blog, I have a better chance at solving this problem with or without my Dr.’s help. I am so glad this blog is up here. I feel better already knowing that I’m not alone in this. I am going to try that Gluten free diet that was posted on here and I will be back to let You all know if it worked for me. Thanks again for the site.
Comment by ayanna — April 2, 2008 @ 7:18 pm
I have had this issue since I can remember (45 now). It has profoundly affected my life. I get extreme, unpleasant fatigue starting with breakfast (after having felt great upon waking up). It feels like I have lost my legs, I feel spaced out, exhausted and I feel a heaviness in the blood. Doctors say my blood work is excellent. I’ve tried different diets but I’m still not sure what the problem is. Definitely feel better without caffeine. I at first though it may be gluten (and dairy) but then some of the very worst offenders for me were gluten free grains (like quinoa or buckwheat). Oatmeal for me is really bad too. I “solved” my problem like many others here by fasting 3/4 of the day. This is really no solution as one does start to get hungry after a while and its easy to binge. I think the only solution is to just test food individually and gauge the reaction and create a diet from that. For me it seems any kind of grain will trigger a crash except for rice but rice doesnt agree with me for other reasons. The worst grains for me are the ones without gluten. Potatoes dont give me this effect as long as I dont eat too many. Sweet potatoes and high natural fructose foods will also crash me. And then sometimes eggs or too much fat makes me feel crappy too..I don’t know maybe its food allergies combined with some type of carb intolerance - but its not all carbs - soda, which I don’t drink much of for example, doesn’t crash me at all. No problem at all with sucrose or HCFS (however natural fructose from fruit or fruit juice gives me hypoglycemia).
Comment by Tommy — April 12, 2008 @ 8:07 pm
Hi Guys,
Thank you for sharing. I suffer the same.
Today I almost went to sleep driving after eating just 5 minutes earlier.
Finding this site lets me know that I am not alone. I have lost relationships and spent thousands of dollars in my attempts to get better.
Thank you for letting me know that I am not alone and that it is not “all in my head”
Nadira
Comment by Nadira — April 15, 2008 @ 4:40 am
This is Nadira again. I forgot to share with you what seems to work for me. This is truly experimental experiences. Two Hoodia gel caps with meals seem to help me stay alert and lose weight. Also a product call MiracleBurn with hoodia and patented advantra Z seems to work if I take it first thing in the morning before meals. The address for this is as follows:
ExcellNow, LLC
302A West 12th St. #276
New York, NY 10014
http://www.miracleburn.com
The medical doctor wants to put me on Provigil. I rather use the holistic protocol vs. the chemical medicines which seem to simply create another disease called “side effects.”
Hope this helps someone. Glad you are there.
Comment by Nadira — April 15, 2008 @ 5:26 am
Oh my gosh, its nice to finally see that I haven’t went entirely insane. I have suffered with the exact same problem for about 10 years now. It has really become very bad in the last 2 years. I read every one of these post and just kept saying to myself “That’s exactly what I do.” I find after eating I fall asleep. It doesn’t matter what I eat. I can eat a full course meal, or simply a bit of a saltine cracker and out like a light I go for 15 minutes to an hour. Then I am full of energy until another morsel of food or a drink hits my tummy and it all starts over again. I find that after I eat I am not physical tired, just sleepy. So sleepy that no matter what I do I can’t stay awake. I just have to lay down and snooze for a few. I laughed at the post about the woman going to the toilet because I thought “Oh my, someone must have noticed me sneaking off to the restroom everyday at work.” I just sit there on the potty for 15 minutes so I can snooze and make it through the other half of the day. It has come down to me just having to not eat all day until I am at home so I can sleep. The weight gain has taken a dramatic affect on me. I have gained about 100 lbs in the last year or so.
Only time I had control of this problem was when I was taking a prescription diet pill. I would take the pill in the morning be able to eat an orange in the afternoon and then eat a healthy supper and still be full of energy at 3 a.m. the next morning. Lost about 100 lbs. on the pill, but also became very sick. Started having lots of heart problems, even think I had a mild stroke. So off the pills I came, and back to the sleepy after eating problem. Only thing I have found is that if I do eat, then I make myself sick after eating, I don’t get sleepy. But thats another problem within itself so I just deal with the sleepiness. I get so tired of being sleepy. Does that make sense to anyone else with this problem. Your not really tired physically but just sleepy.
I just wish that the doctors would take us seriously when we say something is wrong. I think my family has just decided that I am a nut case. I am so depressed from all of this. I am just sitting back sleeping while my children are growing up. I just wished I had the energy to get up and do something with them. I am fine if I just give up food for the day. But then by night I am so out of energy from not eating all day long, that I start having dizzy spells and blacking out from lack of nutrients after a day or two.
I pray every night that God will lead me to find someone who will and can help me with this problem.
I am afraid if I don’t find help soon that I will lose another great job, and end up being so over weight that I will be an embarrassment to my family.
Comment by Peggy — April 27, 2008 @ 8:28 pm
Thanks for sharing everyone. Just reading the posts is very therapeutic. I’m 53 years old and my condition is just worstening. Sleep has always been just a moment away for me. But, I always thought it was because I’ve lead such a busy life and was on the gon all the time. But, now that my life has slowed down, my sleping after eating has sped up. Not good. I’m going to try the complex carb and lo……You may not believe it but I just woke up in the middle of typing. This is getting too serious. I hope my complex carbs work out. Hang in there every one. Let’s pray and keep the faith that we’ll find answers–right answers. May God bless us, one and all!
Comment by WillieMae — April 28, 2008 @ 10:42 pm
It’s absolutely normal…that is why we used to have siestas afew generations ago. So go for it!
A short light lunch, followed by a 20 minute nap, you’ll feel more refreshed and you’ll be more alert than slogging through 8 hours straight.
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn9272&feedId=online-news_rss20
Comment by Ahmed Kamel — May 3, 2008 @ 1:02 pm
Hi everyone, read through your posts and noticed no-one’s put forward the solution that solved my sleepyness. To cut a long story short I’ve suffered from this and thought it was insomnia. Spent all the time trying to treat it but now think I’ve found the solution to my problems. If this helps one person I will be delighted.
* Switch your carbohydrates to LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX foods and cut out, as much as possible, refined sugar. This is KEY, this should stop your mid-morning / mid-afternoon cravings AND you shouldn’t feel sleepy . Have a decent amount (NOT excessive) of protein in your breakfast/lunch to try and prevent a carbohydrate binge (don’t lie, we’ve all done it) - my breakfast is Tesco healthy muesli and depending how I feel I add things like nuts or fruit along with milk (all types are low GI) or yoghurt (certain yoghurts have more protein and are still low fat) - make sure you drink some water around 10mins beforehand though - you need to re-hydrate after a nights sleep and you’ll also need water to digest your lovely breakfast (some of which will be contained in the yoghurt/milk but for me personally, its not enough). If you need to snack, get some salt-free nuts or low-fat/high protein yoghurts or eggs - yes nuts are high in fat but carbs create fat if you eat them excessively on regular mid-morning binges, prime example is an office worker who’s not using up the energy the carbs are giving your bodies, it is therefore stored, as fat. Bread is probably the worst culprite for sleepyness after eating for me so I’ve cut down consumption and bought Burgen low GI bread which seems to have solved the problem. High GI foods create a larger spike in your blood sugar making you buzz initially then suffer a plateau as it returns to normal meaning you feel really sluggish and lethargic. Eating low GI foods, in my personal experience, leads to less hunger and a more slow, consistent energy release that fuels me until my next meal.
* You need carbs even if you are an office worker. You need to find your optimal amount, this will take patience but don’t go without carbs like fruit and veg and starchy products etc - you need a) the vitamens and b) the energy. The GI index is your friend, find something you like in the low (or medium at worst) range and switch it. If you are also trying to diet, only switch your foods don’t cut consumption, let your stomach be your guide. Sugars in fruit and veg are fine, it’s the manufactured/refined stuff you need to cut out, this, while not wholly responsible, is prevalent in a lot of those foods that cause sudden blood sugar spikes (and logically so). For example an apple or pear is a great mid-morning snack that (if you’re really hungry) alongside a small amount of protein like some monkey nuts will sort you out until lunch hour.
* DRINK WATER - i cannot stress this enough, I mebbe should in hindsight have put this first lol. A hydrated body is a happy body and food requires water to break down so try and drink some before a meal and only sip small amounts with a meal if required to try and speed up metabolism - more food => more water. Hydration cured my insomnia, I have probably less hours in bed but wakeup refreshed and if I wakeup mid-sleep I just drink a little water and head back to Zzz land. If you feel sleepy after a meal let it settle for 15-30mins then start water consumption until it goes away. I find easiest way to gauge hydration is a very slight yellowness to urine, anything darker and you need more H20. Any other drink with sugar like obviously soft drinks, tea/coffee with added sugar are just gona make you feel woozy so c’mon do without them - I previously didn’t like water but that was because of my constant sugar cravings so now, like breathing, it’s just natural to me.
Don’t let tiredness - after meals or whenever - ruin your life, make a pledge for at least a week but preferably a month doing these things and hopefully you’ll come out of it feeling awesome. Good luck to those with the willpower to try it. =D
Comment by Sam — May 6, 2008 @ 11:25 am
Oh meant to say, that I’ve also found that if you find yourself, for whatever reason (eg. social pressure), eating sugary or high GI foods, to some extent, you can counteract this through a little exercise and water, using up the energy that it has created so you feel less sleepy - the more you’ve eaten the less chance you can counteract it obviously. Not always possible esp if you’re an office worker but a good backup plan if you need it nonetheless.
Comment by Sam — May 6, 2008 @ 11:30 am
Ok — Wow — I found this simply by a reoccurring symptom and I’m amazed at the theories — “I fight sleep after eating anything” is my problem. While fighting the sleep I came here and actually perked up because my brain was turned on by the theories. So here’s another theory — Candida ..yes (but to fight the candida) Take GARLIC supplements..Garlic will kill off Yeast, and help balance the toxins. Take ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar organic) will balance out the chemicals in the body as well.
Fibromyalgic symptoms and all of the other stuff are great diagnosis’s too, however, most doctors will keep treating you with pills and ignore these painful symptoms. Then after you get off the drugs you’ll be more exhausted and fatigued.
It’s my belief also that because our meat/vegtables/water/dairy products are all being contaminated with drugs we are walking pharmeceutical time-bombs and actually getting drug doses with our meals. Kids are fresh to the market, and probably don’t have the buildup we’ve ingested through years of consumption. So — perhaps we’re more polluted and as grandma use to say — get a good physic in you (clean that colin)…get the Geritol out of the cabinet and modify your diet. As a person that gets tired from eating everything, I want to say that I also notice this more on darker and cloudier days — so Sunlight has an effect as well (hence Vitamin D and Melatonin levels). Sugar/Insulin/Fibromyalgia/Sunlight/Melotonin/VitaminD — Drugs in the water/food — boy — good luck getting in balance — I think we’ll be seeing this problem increasing for quite some time.
Comment by Stoney — May 11, 2008 @ 4:12 pm
I’ve had the sleepiness problem for years too. Extreme sleepiness or brain fog after meals. What worked for me was the South Beach / Glycemic diet. It teaches you to blend fast burning foods with slow burning foods so you don’t get a blood sugar spike and roller coaster. In an emergency if you are getting sleepy at work, eat some protein like peanuts to snap out of it. If you can exercise more, it should help reduce your sensitivity.
Comment by Rich — May 19, 2008 @ 7:19 pm
Its good to read suggestions and comforting to know others are trying to find a way to prevent sleepiness. I work on managing the depression triggered by this but I have been having a hard time. Monday night I had a couple of table spoons of steamed squash, stirred fried tofu and a glass of vegetable juice. Guess what I went to sleep chewing and slept for three hours, woke up achy like I had the flu and with stiff joints. Its like being attacked by food. And it doesn’t matter what I eat. Coffee seems to be the one thing I can drink - other than water and tea - that doesn’t knock me out. I don’t eat sugar - refined or otherwise, don’t drink alcohol, no meat, pasta, potato, rice or much of anything else. A few spoons of rice or 1/2 cup of blueberries - doesn’t matter. My body does not discriminate. I eat and I sleep. Sometimes, I wake up with food still in my mouth. I weight a few pounds over 100 and am 5. 7 I have energy plus when I don’t eat. So my solution - don’t eat when I have to get stuff done. I’m self-employed so the brain fog that comes with this doesn’t help. Eating is not suppose to be complicated. But what does suppose have to do with it?
Anyway, I’m just venting - don’t have anything new to add but I do appreciate all of you because talking with people who don’t experience this is frustrating. In their caring, they offer “all you have to do” solutions. And its not that simple. I wish it were.
Have a good day everybody and take care
Comment by Yvonne — May 21, 2008 @ 2:32 pm
Willie Mae;
You absolutely right a siesta can be physically and psychologically restorative. But people who are so drunk with sleep 15 - 20 minutes after they eat, they can do anything but sleep are not taking a siesta. People are losing their jobs, straining their personal relations, feeling depressed because they can’t maintain a reasonable level of functioning. Its emotionally draining when you plan your day and at the end of it realize, you’ve accomplished very little because five hours of sleep was the price you paid for eating a balanced meal. I’m not suggesting that you are tying to make light of what is a very serious problem for some people. But I do think your comments reflect a lack of understanding. For those of us who struggle with this, there is nothing to “go for,”
Have a good day.
Take care
Y
Comment by Yvonne — May 21, 2008 @ 2:47 pm
Hi,
I was looking up why I’m so tired after eating and I happened upon this site. I haven’t talked to my doctor yet but thanks to you all
I now have no doubt that this is linked to my other health problems. I am severly overweight at 300 lbs, am lactose intolerant, and have a terrible case of Irritable Bowel Syndrome which tends to steer towards the other extreme end of the spectrum: diarrhea instead of constipation. Everything I eat aggravates these problems. I find it helps if I exercise some but then when I crash I crash hard and then no matter where I am I have to run for the restroom. I am a teacher and you can imagine how frustrating this is.
Comment by Mary — May 22, 2008 @ 8:44 pm
Falling asleep as I am reading this blog! Just ate chicken and cooked veggies and strawberry crisp for dessert. Maybe it was the sugar in the strawberry crisp. But this has never happened to me. At 47 I am now finding myself for the first time falling asleep at my desk working — always after I have eaten lunch. I drink lots of water and I exercise. I have Grave’s disease, but have had it for 10 years and it has been in control. I truly believe my reaction has something to do with the body producing Tryptophan because my drowsiness feels like it is drug-induced! I will experiment with raw food, but I haven’t found that what I eat at lunch controls my need to sleep. I will report back if I find something!
Comment by Gabrielle — May 27, 2008 @ 8:26 pm
Well thanks to everyone here, I have a lot of areas to start searching. I too have problems with extreme sleepiness after eating some meals. I haven’t been able to narrow it down to one. I have been tested for thyroid and diabetes and all came back normal. I do think its allergy related though. I will feel like I’m drugged. I sometimes barely remember getting to my bed, as I lay there, I can feel whatever chemical it is being released going through my blood and I can feel my heart beating. I will go into a drugged sleep and its difficult for anyone to wake me up. I laid down Saturday evening and slept 5 hours and forced myself to get up. Luckily, it doesn’t happen every day or after every meal as some of you report but it scares me because I feel like I’m overdosing on something and I don’t know what it is. I have mentioned it to my doctor but all he did was the bloodtests and then told me they all came back normal. If I figure anything out, I’ll definately come back and tell ya all.
Comment by kristin — June 3, 2008 @ 4:11 am
Recognizing the problem and finding this blog has been a help. I have noticed that many have said that food high in carbs is a culprit.Use of vitamin B and garlic pills might help. I will try the vitamin B,apple cider vinegar,garlic pills and try to cut out carbs. After having a lunch of pizza made with sugar in the sauce,I might as well have taken a handful of sleeping pills. I was knocked out for about an hour an half.
I will use the suggestions from various bloggers on this site and hopefully my situation improves.
I would like to include lettuce and tomatoes in my diet on a regular basis ,but whenever you flip the boob tube on,they are warning you against buying fruits and vegetables because of some kind of disease.
Ecoli,or whatever.
Comment by Dan — June 10, 2008 @ 12:10 am
I’ve had the same problem for a very long time, since I was a little kid. The only thing that really helps me is fasting. When I fast, my energy is very good, and my thinking is very clear. The problem is is that I eventually have to eat and then I usually binge because the hunger builds. I’ve tried different types of eating schedules (5 small meals, protein with breakfast, 3 meals a day)and diets (low carb, low fat, lots of carbs).
I’ve found that lower carb generally works better but only for a short while as I find the diet horrible and after a few weeks of it I feel generally depressed. Most carbs, even so called low glycemic carbs, give me the fatigue/crash. I find oatmeal, quinoa (non gluten), buckwheat (non gluten) and wheat to be the worst and potatoes to be the least exhausting. I can’t eat fruits at all as they give me a great hunger combined with hypoglycemia - that shakey panicky cold sweat feeling but with crazy hunger.
Exercise is bad too. Gives me a ravenous appetite and usually depression within a day or two. In any case, it causes me to gain weight so I try and stay away though I like to stay active.
Coffee and caffeine as well gives me a ravenous apetite so I avoid.
Comment by rans — June 15, 2008 @ 2:58 am
This is quite interesting, since recently I am experiencing the same condition after a meal. I follow a health diet, low carbs, exercise a
few times a week, avoid process sugars( that’s the worst, puts me into sleep coma), and sleep 6-7 hours a night…I mentioned it to my doctor who claims I have nothing to worry about since I am healthy. But I have found it to be unpredictable and embarrassing, where I have to stop what I am doing and nap for 15-30 minutes, then I am full of energy again. I thought I had figured it out by removing carbs and sugars for my diet during the day, but that does not always work. Anyhow good luck! I have my physical soon and I will insist my doctor run some test this time to make a diagnosis. If my results are successful I will let you know. In the mean time be careful and like me, don’t eat and drive
Rick
Comment by Rick Roberts — June 16, 2008 @ 7:01 pm
i have this same problem
i can’t even make it up a flight of stairs
i have to lie down a good portion of the day
that was until i went 100% raw vegan
now i have so much energy i just take off
running down the street sometimes for no
reason at all
raw food saved my life
Comment by miki moo — June 25, 2008 @ 12:10 am
also
make sure the water you are drinking is fluoride and chlorine free
check you home water for lead and arsenic. always use a water filter.
for information on water toxins use youtube.com
type in fluoride, chlorine, lead, arsenic, drugs in water
you can also use google.com
most bottled water is just tap water
you have to make sure the bottled water you are getting is actually spring water
and try to get it in glass because plastic bottled water has plastic toxins in it which causes cancer
they actually spray a highly toxic spray onto the inside of the plastic bottle before they fill it with water
also when buying your veggies make sure they are organic
the farmers market is the best place to buy
and also make sure your meat is organic and not grain fed with pesticides or injected with hormones
they are now starting to radiate food in the usa
this kills the nutrients despite their claims it only kills a little
it also turns your food into something that resembles cancer under a microscope
best case scenario is to go raw vegan and start your own garden
watch out for putting your garden in planters or wood that is treated with anything though
it seeps into the soil and is highly toxic
Comment by miki moo — June 25, 2008 @ 12:17 am
I have the same problem. I had a horrible response to foods that where high glycemic (white bread, white rice, white flour, white potatoes and white pasta). I would fall asleep anywhere because my body was decreasing in sensitivity to insulin year by year. Now 32 my condition is called PCOS which belongs to a family of metabolic issues (Syndrome X and Insulin Resistance). PCOS has some cosmetic and fertility issues linked with it (acne, facial hair, darkening of the neck, armpits, and groin to name a few) These put you at risk for major health risks. If you are gaining weight more on your upper body then realize that this is the result of excess insulin impacting the metabolic function of you major organs. Switch to eating foods that break down slow (complex low glycemic carbs). Use the list from fifty50.com to plan your meals. Shop on the outside of the store aisle because all the whole foods are found there. Try not to eat anything packaged, canned or bottled. All these things have undergone a process that preserve them for shelf life (added sugars)). Also check out http://www.insulitelabs.com because it will help you to see the value in nutritional support of your body, because your body is metabolizing sugar in a different way which impacts fat distribution.
Comment by Shon Shon — July 1, 2008 @ 9:06 pm
Also a great deal of you are complaining of the same problem (men and women). We must realize that a lot of the testing that is done for insulin resistance does not properly measure how long your pancreas keeps producing insulin in order to regulate your blood glucose back to normal. The doctors take the very basic glucose tolerance testing and fasting blood glucose until one year you discover that you have Type II diabetes. Your doctor may say “you’re healthy” but only you know how horrible you really feel. Then one year they want to start you on insulin because your pancreas is overworked and can’t help you do what it is supposed to. Eating a diet rich in Omega 3’s, vegatables, low saturated meat protein, olive oils, brown rice , brown whole grain bread (limit) and no artifically sweetened things (ie splenda, equal, pink stuff, and diet drinks). My pantry is now empty. NO Prepackaged SNACKS. Opt for a protein bar. I shop for frozen and fresh everything (veggies, meats, fruits,etc.). Become a nibbler eating 3 meals and 3 (fruit veggie or yogurt snacks). Please drink your water. Commit and you will not be sorry. Long Life and Health to you.
Comment by Shon Shon — July 1, 2008 @ 9:24 pm