New Delhi: By afternoon, many people suddenly start feeling heaviness and drowsiness in the eyes. Especially after lunch, falling asleep while working in office, at home or while traveling is considered a common experience. Most people ignore it by calling it laziness, overeating or fatigue.

However, health experts say that if sleepiness and laziness after lunch become an everyday problem, then it is not right to take it lightly. Many times it indicates some disturbance going on inside the body. In such a situation, it becomes important to know why one feels sleepy again and again after lunch and which diseases can it be a sign of.

What changes happen in the body after eating food?

After eating food, the body’s entire attention goes to the digestion process. During this period, blood flow towards the digestive organs increases and the blood reaching the brain decreases slightly. Due to this, one feels heaviness, lethargy and sleepiness. In medical language it is called post lunch dip. This is a natural process, but due to some reasons its effect can increase further.

Why does excess carbohydrate increase laziness?

If lunch includes rice, potatoes, white bread, refined flour or very sweet things, the blood sugar rises rapidly and then falls suddenly. Due to this fluctuation, the body feels tired and starts feeling sleepy. Apart from this, after eating, some hormones become active in the body which indicate relaxation. Due to this, the body goes into relaxed mode and the effect of sleep is more visible in the afternoon. If you do not get enough sleep at night, this problem can increase further.

Sleepiness after lunch can be a sign of which disease?

According to doctors, if you feel intense sleep, heaviness and lethargy every day after lunch, then it can be an early symptom of insulin resistance. In this situation the body is not able to convert sugar into energy properly.

After eating food, blood sugar increases rapidly and to control it the body releases more insulin. After some time this process causes fatigue, weakness and sleep. Experts say that long-term insulin resistance can increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease and in some cases even cancer. Many times this problem starts even though fasting sugar is normal, hence it is also called silent metabolic problem.

How to avoid this problem?

Experts recommend keeping the meal light and balanced to avoid sleep after lunch. Eat food rich in fiber and protein and avoid excessive sweets and refined carbohydrates. Instead of lying down immediately after eating food, it is considered beneficial to walk for 10 to 15 minutes. Along with this, regular exercise, controlling weight and getting adequate sleep can reduce this problem to a great extent.