Falling asleep after eating may be a natural process to some, but middle-aged or older people must get themselves checked. Diabetes is one of the most problematic things in the world at the moment. On average, one in ten people in many countries has diabetes and has to rely on medications for their life.
If you are worried about being affected by diabetes because you fall asleep after eating, you should be concerned about your health. There is a possibility that you may have prediabetes in the early stages, so Keep reading and help yourself with details and important information on diabetes and drowsiness.
Understanding The Connection: Eating And Sleepiness
Eating and sleepiness are mostly related to a number of people, but some people need to be concerned as it can also be a symptom of type-2 diabetes. Usually, when it comes to Falling Asleep after eating, there are specific reasons for your sleepiness.
The size and timing of your meal is equivalently responsible for your lethargy. You can get sleepy if you eat after sunset or have a large portion of a meal simultaneously. Eating fat and carbohydrates can also cause sleepiness in most people. Poor sleep patterns are also responsible for Falling Asleep after eating. You must regulate your diet and sleep patterns to manage your health and untimely sleepiness.
Why Do I Get Sleepy After Eating Sugar?
Sleepiness is deeply related to sugar intake, as it is a rich source of carbohydrates and affects your energy levels. The human body is designed to break down sugar and convert it into energy. When you start taking more sugar, your cortisol levels get affected, which leads to sleepiness.
Researchers have shown that more than 24 grams of sugar intake in a day can lead to serious health issues in the future. Excess sugar also affects your orexin production. Orexin is a hormone produced by neurons in our brain and regulates sleep and wake activities, eating, and energy behaviors.
Other Reasons For Feeling Sleepy After Eating?
There is no scientific evidence that your sleepiness and lethargy are specifically caused by diabetes. There are other reasons that can cause you to fall asleep after eating a meal as well. Food is the source of human energy and nutrition; when it comes to getting energy from that food, it is also necessary to use it after a meal, which many people don’t. It makes your body unable to produce energy from the food you eat and makes you lethargic. Here are more relevant reasons for your drowsiness after a meal other than diabetes.
1. Lack Of Sleep
A poor sleep pattern causes your body to wake up with past fatigue and less healed muscles. With proper sleep, your body isn’t healed from the previous day’s damage. Sleep deprivation consumes all the energy you gain from your food to heal those damages and does not give you much for your daily tasks. This leads to sleepiness and lethargy. Improve your sleep patterns and make sure you are getting at least 7 hours of sleep every day.
2. Dietary Choices
Having too much carbohydrates, starch, or fat in your daily diet is one of the main causes of your drowsiness. If you are feeling sleepy just after eating, you should watch what you are eating on a daily basis. Add dietary fibers and more protein along with daily exercise to regulate your metabolism.
3. Having A Low Water-Intake
Dehydration is yet another cause of your lethargy. Water plays an essential role in digesting the food you eat. Otherwise, your body must use much more energy to digest one meal. This leads to energy depravity and lethargy. Start drinking more water after a couple of hours of your meals and see the difference for yourself.
Signs Of Diabetes
There are tons of indications and signs of diabetes in a person. When it comes to detecting and diagnosing your condition in an early stage, it is essential to know certain things about your body. Diabetes is a condition that doesn’t come suddenly. It is caused by the accumulation of blood sugar and cholesterol over time. Anyway, look at these certain indications for diabetes in a person.
Frequent Urination
Urination is a natural process to get rid of liquid waste after digestion of your food. When you start seeing an increase in the number of times you have to pee, it could be a sign of diabetes. Diabetes in its early stages causes your kidney to fail in the process of refining sugar from the blood and excess sugar goes into the urine. This makes you go for a pee frequently.
Excess Fatigue Or Tiredness
When you have diabetes, most of the sugar gets out of your body through urine, and some stays back in your blood. Your blood does not supply the amount of glucose your cells need to work and function properly. This energy depravity in your cells leads to fatigue and weakness. Ensure you are getting checked immediately after feeling unnecessarily weak for days.
Vision Issues
Vision-related problems don’t usually come in the early stages of diabetes but can be the case for some people. Losing vision, blank spots, and blurred vision are symptoms of diabetic retinopathy. When you are having trouble with your vision, immediately consult your healthcare provider or doctor for treatment.
Lowered Healing Capabilities
When you cut yourself or get a wound, nutrients and necessary minerals start to circulate more in that area. WBCs also work in controlling the infection, but all of it slows down when you have diabetes. The nutrient supply and blood flow slow down due to the high blood sugar. This is a strong sign of diabetes in a person, so get yourself checked before it gets worse.
Conclusion
Diabetes is a serious problem in human society, mainly caused by people’s disregard for their health at a young age. Regular exercise, a proper diet, and sleep will make your body stronger and less prone to diseases in the future. Try to eat healthy and consume less than 24 grams of sugar daily. Go for a run every day to race your heart; it will prevent you from future cardiovascular diseases.
FAQs:
The inability of their body to convert the sugar into energy immediately makes them lethargic and sleepy. More energy is used in digestion rather than in daily tasks is another reason for drowsiness in diabetics.
There are several reasons that may cause sleepiness after eating, but most probably, the person has diabetes. If their diet and sleep schedule are poor, or they are dehydrated, they might feel sleepy after eating. But getting checked by a doctor in either case would be beneficial.
Struggling to get up in the morning, feeling a lack of energy to move, or fogginess are direct signs of diabetic fatigue. These signs are not to be ignored but taken care of immediately.
If a person is always suffering from sleepiness, it is a sign of Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). According to experts, getting checked is the best option in that case.
Increased thirst, frequent urination, lowering healing of wounds, and hyper mood swings are the most prominent signs of being diabetic.
References
- O’Sullivan M, Rahim M, Hall C. The prevalence and management of poor sleep quality in a secondary care mental health population. J Clin Sleep Med. 2015;11:111–116. [PMC free article]
- Bonsen T, Wijnstok NJ, Hoekstra T, Eringa EC, Serné EH, Smulders YM, Twisk JW. Sleep quality and duration are related to microvascular function: the Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study. J Sleep Res. 2015;24:140–147. [PubMed
