Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: thedoc on 06/10/2013 23:19:57

Title: Does digestion make you sleepy?
Post by: thedoc on 06/10/2013 23:19:57

There's an old wives tale that a glass of cold milk will help you sleep? Does digestion make you sleepy?
Asked by Jill Clarke


                                        Visit the webpage for the podcast in which this question is answered. (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/naked-scientists/show/20131001-1/)

[chapter podcast=1000514 track=13.10.01/Naked_Scientists_Show_13.10.01_1001393.mp3](https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenakedscientists.com%2FHTML%2Ftypo3conf%2Fext%2Fnaksci_podcast%2Fgnome-settings-sound.gif&hash=f2b0d108dc173aeaa367f8db2e2171bd)  ...or Listen to the Answer[/chapter] or [download as MP3] (http://nakeddiscovery.com/downloads/split_individual/13.10.01/Naked_Scientists_Show_13.10.01_1001393.mp3)

Title: Does digestion make you sleepy?
Post by: thedoc on 06/10/2013 23:19:57

We answered this question on the show...

Jason Rihel - So, my experience is, it’s been always a glass of warm milk that makes [img float=right]/forum/copies/RTEmagicC_Milk_glass_05.jpg.jpg[/img]me sleepier, but yes, there are definitely foods that can make us less tired or more awake. In fact, many people have experienced for example, after a large meal in particular, sleepiness. That's actually a period of sleep called postprandial sleep which is after eating sleep. If you look throughout the animal kingdom, think of the mighty lion for example, feasting on a zebra carcass and then just going off for a big long nap.