Food Comas occur after eating a big meal, making one feel stuffed and want to take a nap. This is called postprandial somnolence, and it is very common today. It happens all the time when someone eats a big meal, and they just want to take a big nap after. There are many theories as to why this happens.

According to a professor of nutrition and psychology at Cornell University the most common explanation for food comas are changes in the circulation of blood flow. “When you consume food and enters your stomach and activates the gastrointestinal tract, the blood flow shifts from the muscles and brain into the stomach and intestines,” said David Levitsky. “And when blood volume goes down in the brain, we get woozy and tired.” Blood shifts happen because when you eat a meal it activates your ”parasympathetic nervous system,” the part of the nervous system that triggers digestion and absorption of our food we eat. On the other hand your sympathetic nervous system does the total opposite role. It is put out to be a threat or danger and induces a “fight or flight” response. This causes a result in increased heart rate and increased blood flow to your brain.

“Personally this is very interesting, I think scientist should keep researching this,” said Emily Palone. “I know I get really tired after eating a huge meal. They should keep researching this so we can find an answer. It might even help me with having to pick what I eat also.”

No one will not fall into a food coma if they just eating a few bites, or a small snack. It has to be a larger meal that they eat. When they eat a larger meal, their gastric distention stretches. Stated from a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Dr. William Orr said, “a liquid meal will make you less tired, while a solid meal will make you more tired.” “Solids and liquids have different effects on the stomach,” said Orr. There are many different reasons for sleepiness after eating, but they can not pinpoint it just yet.

There was a recent study done with fruit flies. The more protein the flies consumed, the longer they stayed asleep.  There is another study done for fat, but that one takes longer to digest. If carbs are taken in, small amounts of protein and fat can help push off sleepiness. It slows the rise of the blood sugar after eating a meal. This can also help prevent the spikes and crashes in blood sugar. Circadian rhythms are also another contribution to food comas. Within our bodies there is a normal decrease in arousal, this occurs around the mid-afternoon. This also contributes to the sleepiness in our bodies. When that “dipping” occurs it is around 1 or 1:30, we normally get a little more sleepy. Studies say that even if you don’t eat lunch, you will still be tired due to the circadian rhythm.

“It is theoretically possible that after eating a large (protein-rich) meal, you may feel more tired,” stated Levitsky. “Around 1 or 1:30 p.m. is right about when that dip occurs, where we are a little more drowsy,” Orr explained, though that time can vary based on when you wake up. “Even if you don’t eat lunch, you would still get sleepy due to the circadian rhythm. But when we eat at this time, it’s a double whammy.”

Overall people can prevent these in many different ways. They can start by consuming smaller meals, and try to avoid eating around 1 or 1:30. They can also eat an earlier lunch, and it will help with you being more tired. Pick more liquids over solids during lunch. These are just a few of the things that can happen and help.