The medical term used for falling asleep after eating is known as “postprandial somnolence”. After consuming any meal or heavy diet, there is a common physiological phenomenon where individuals feel drowsy and desire to sleep.
There are several reasons for this urge or desire to sleep after a meal. It could be for improving digestive efficiency, repair and regeneration of cells, tissues, or organs, and regulation of hormones which regulate blood sugar level and serotine.
If we have a meal immediately after strenuous physical work, we need to relax our body and vital organs. Sometimes, this type of nap immediately after the meal improves mood and cognitive function and reduces cardiovascular risks.
Eating sweet foods that are rich in glucose also causes postprandial somnolence. However, excessive eating of glucose-rich food can result in diabetes.
Some people think that sleeping habits immediately after a meal are a sign or symptom of the commencement of a diabetic condition. This blog will explore the relationship between falling asleep after eating and diabetes.
Also Read: What You Need To Know About Diabetes
Understanding Diabetes
The pancreas secretes a hormone known as insulin, which enables glucose to enter the cell to produce energy. Glucose is derived from the food we eat which is carried by the bloodstream.
When the glucose processing in the body is affected, it might lead to a chronic situation known as Diabetes. The common symptoms of diabetes are excessive thirst, frequent urination, and unexplained weight loss.
Read: What Foods to Eat and not to Eat for Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes
It is a disorder where the body’s immune system mistakenly treats insulin produced by the pancreas as a pathogen and mistakenly attacks it. It destroys the beta cells in the pancreas.
Since the pancreas is affected, they are unable to secrete insulin. People with type 1 diabetes must be injected with insulin to replace the missing hormone.
Type 2 Diabetes
It is possible that cell of the body develops resistance to insulin, which hampers the processing of glucose in the bloodstream, or the pancreas cannot produce enough pancreas to maintain the blood sugar level.
Type 2 diabetes is often associated with lifestyle activity, obesity, physical inactivity, or unhealthy diet.
Also Read: Simple Steps to Prevent Diabetes
Is falling asleep after eating a sign of diabetes?
Foods are broken down to glucose, which is run in the bloodstream. When we eat a heavy diet, we need a digestive system to be efficient in digesting the excess food and processing the decomposition of food quickly.
The decomposition of food requires more digestive juices, which are produced by gastric glands in the stomach. Not only this, we also need insulin to regulate the blood sugar level and appetite or hunger.
Serotonin hormone is responsible for regulating the mode and causes a feel-good factor after eating a good meal. It also regulates sleeping behavior and cognitive functions and promotes cardiovascular functions.
Related: What is Sleep Quality, How does Melatonin help improve it?
The Link to Diabetes
Some research has shown that people suffering from diabetes have common symptoms like sleeping urge immediately after eating, laziness, and feeling heavy in physical activity levels.
The study also revealed that type 2 diabetes is associated with sleep disturbances. The risk of diabetes is associated with overeating.
Smoking develops resistance in the body to insulin, making it incapable of regulating blood sugar levels.
