Why carbs make you tired

Some sleep guidelines from the NSF include:. Nutrition Nutrition Basics Carbs. By Karen Gardner Updated August 16, Claudia is a registered dietitian with a PhD in physical activity, nutrition and wellness. She is an expert in intuitive eating and nutrition science.

Karen Gardner. Karen Gardner is a professional writer and editor based in Maryland. She has a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Maryland. She is an experienced Health Writer and Editor. She has also chronicled her personal experiences in endurance sports, including marathon running and long-distance cycling. Carbs can make you sleepy. Video of the Day. Tip Carbs may make you sleepy, but it's complicated. Do Carbs Make Me Sleepy? Daytime Drowsiness From Carbs. All Carbs Are Not Equal.

Sleep and Diet. More Dietary Recommendations. Focus on Health. Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Practice relaxing bedtime habits away from bright lights. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid naps. Exercise daily. Have a cool bedroom, between 60 and 67 F. Sleep on a quality mattress with good pillows. Expose yourself to sunlight in the morning to keep your circadian rhythms functioning.

Wind down. Avoid alcohol, cigarettes and heavy meals in the evening. It's easy to fall into a cycle of feeling tired without sugar, and most of us are unaware of our sugar addiction. Almost all of us are addicted to sugar. If you look at the nutritional content of most store products these days, you may be shocked by the sugar content.

Moving on from the chemical reactions in the body, let's talk about Overeating. This is one of the greater culprits when it comes to the relationship between food and sleepiness. After eating, Especially a large meal your body dedicated more blood-flow to the digestive system, which often means a lack of blood and nutrients to the brain, causing tiredness. The effect of this is often minor, but can be avoided by eating smaller, more frequent meals.

We've all experienced that feeling of tiredness in the afternoon shortly after lunch. If your lunch was large, or rich in carbohydrates, then it is most likely the culprit of your sleepiness, and this can often become part of your cardiac rhythm, Body clock.

We naturally feel tired at two points in the day, post-lunch and post-dinner, due to culturally developed meal-structure. If you have issues sleeping at night, I'd recommend having something small containing carbs, such as warm milk, to help you become drowsy.

Milk also provides tryptophan. If you find that you're regularly sleepy after lunch, this may be due to your circadian rhythms, which is your 'body clock'. Perhaps try to have a lunch with less carbohydrates, and more protein!

For example, instead of pasta or rice, perhaps opt for a salad with some lean meat such as chicken or turkey. Eating too many carbohydrates can throw off your digestive tract, and it can interfere your body's ability to smooth out the belly and effectively break down the particles you eat, explains Lemmer.

Having abdominal discomfort and poor digestion is often due to diet and refined carbs, and if you don't have a chronic disease, something as simple as excess carb intake could be to blame. If you notice yourself having a hard time remembering to grab your keys or meeting a work deadline, it could be due to eating too many carbohydrates, advised Dr.

Mercola on his health website. According to research, cognitive decline can result when your diet is high in carbs , as opposed to being properly balanced with adequate ratios of carbs, protein, and healthy fats. If any of these conditions appear, your diet and carb ratios might be to blame. Try eliminating processed foods and refined carbohydrates and limiting the number of healthy carbohydrates you eat in the day, such as fruits, starchy vegetables, and whole grains.

If you start to see symptoms disappear, try and sustain this lifestyle longterm for better quality of life. High Blood Sugar.