12 Foods That Make You Sleepy, Tired, and Sluggish After Lunch
There are energizing foods, there are also foods that do the opposite- making us feel sleepy. When you have packed schedule of important events, you should avoid this type of foods. But, when you want to get a good rest and feel sleepy, this type of foods is going to help you. Here are the foods that make you sleepy, tired, and sluggish after lunch.
1. White rice
There are some foods that make you sleepy, tired, and sluggish after lunch. It cannot be denied that most of us have experienced the feeling sleep right after eating white rice, let alone eating a lot of it. White rice has high glycemic index, so when we eat a lot of it we tend to get sleepy right away. If you are going to an important event that requires you to stay focus, do not eat too much rice beforehand.
When you are full and have nothing to do, you will easily feel sleepy. But, wait for 2 hours before going to bed. If you go to bed right away after having a meal, the gastric acid will elevate. And if you want to munch before bed, the healthy options are fruits or legumes.
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2. Tuna
As seafood, tuna is a really good food for our health even though by consuming it will make us easily feel sleepy. Tuna contains high amount of vitamin B6. That affects the production of melatonin and serotonin to increase in a short time. The sleepy feeling will come right away and it is hard to resist. That being said, consuming tuna is a good thing for dinner.
You may also read: Dangers of Eating Undercooked Tilapia Fish!
3. Banana
Most of the people said that when you are physically tired, you can easily feel sleepy. If you want to feel sleepy, you can eat banana. Banana contains magnesium and potassium that can make nerves and muscles to relax. Vitamin B6 in banana also capable to convert tryptophan to serotonin, this will make our body to feel more relax. You may also read: How To Whiten Teeth with Banana Skin
4. Salad
According to a nutritionist, when you consume salad in inappropriate time it will lead to feeling sleepy. As we all know that salad is a food consists of vegetables like tomato, shredded carrot, lettuce and other fresh vegetables. There are only about 200 kcal in a bowl of salad, so that explains you will feel hungry again and even feeling sleepy.
People often add raspberry vinaigrette or honey mustard when consuming salad. This additional thing will make the sleepy feeling even greater. To avoid feeling sleepy, you can add some protein to your salad, like shredded chicken meat and also complex carbohydrate. You may also read: Vegetable Salad for Diet
5. Almond
Almond contains tryptophan and high amount of magnesium. These two components are responsible to lessen nerves function, this automatically will make you feel relaxed and sleepy. This happens because consuming almond will stabilized heart’s rhythm. Consuming a handful of almond can give the sleepy effect, thus you can eat it as healthy snacks before bed.
6. Walnut
Just like almond, walnut is also a healthy snack and it can also make you feel sleepy. Walnut has melatonin compound that will make your eyes become tired and feel sleepy. You can feel sleepy right away after consuming it, but make sure to consume it in a proper amount. Other benefit of walnut is keeping or improving heart’s health. You may also read: Factors Causing Food Poisoning
7. Pretzel
Pretzel is well-known for snack. But you need to know that pretzel can also cause you to feel sleepy. Pretzel has high glycemic index, that means after consuming it, the insulin will increase because the blood sugar also increases. When the insulin and blood sugar increase naturally, time needed for you to sleep is faster. When this happens, it will trigger tryptophan to enter your brain and help you to sleep well in a faster time.
8. Honey
Honey is very beneficial for our body, skin and hair health. Although, it contains high amount of glucose. This glucose affects the chemical production process in the brain. The chemical compound is known as orexin, and it is responsible to make you stay up. So when the production stops, you can feel sleepy instantaneously. It does not take much, only a spoonful of honey can make you feel sleepy in a short time. Thus, no need to consume it excessively to get good night sleep.
9. Wheat bread
Just like any other carbohydrate sources of food, wheat bread has high amount of glucose. It will make you feel sleepy, so it is better to avoid consuming it for breakfast.
10. Cherry
This small fruit contains melatonine that will make your body more relaxed and make you feel sleepy. Most of the people are not well-informed that trouble of sleeping or insomnia can be prevented by consuming cherry before bed. Other than can be consumed raw or right away, cherry can also be processed as juice, it will make the same effects. So it is better to consume it at the right time, which is right before bed.
11. Cheese
Cheese is one processed milk product that’s favorite for a lot of people. Cheese has great nutrition that can be very beneficial for your health. Trouble sleeping or insomnia can be prevented by consuming cheese. Calcium content in cheese will make your brain use tryptophan. In the end, melatonine will be produced and affects you to feel sleepy.
12. Oatmeal
This food usually consumed for breakfast and is considered as a healthy food for people with heart problem. Oatmeal also contains carbohydrate and glucose so it will automatically increase blood sugar level after consuming it. Oatmeal can make you feel sleepy because of the elevated level of melatonine in the body. It will make body more relaxed and feel sleepy early. It is advised for people with insomnia to consume it. Indeed, that’s all the foods that make you sleepy, tired, and sluggish after lunch.
