Are you familiar with the fact that around 529 million people in the world suffer from diabetes? Do you wonder whether you are one of those because you feel asleep after eating? Well, let us assist you in the right way with essential knowledge.
Yes, if you fall asleep right after eating breakfast, lunch or dinner, that could be a sign of diabetes. Although we notice this symptom mainly in diabetic patients. It may also occur due to elevated or low levels of blood sugar. Do not worry, you are safe unless you are the victim of diabetes. Along with falling asleep, people feel too much hunger and thirst, as the symptoms of diabetes. Moreover, diabetic patients recover slowly and have weight loss as well.
After thoroughly reading this guide will be able to get knowledge on the connection between your fatigue or sleepiness and diabetes. You will get familiar with whether you are suffering from diabetes or if you are safe. Stay with us until you reach the bottom of this article. Let’s start with understanding why and how this happens.
Why Do People With Diabetes Feel Sleepy After Eating?
People with diabetes feel sleepy or tired after eating. Their blood sugar levels elevate. In fact, it is very common for diabetes patients to feel it even when their stomach is empty. There can be several causes for it. Let’s find out.
Blood Sugar Control
The most important one is control of blood sugar. You should control it, which is essential for managing diabetes. Low or high levels of blood sugar levels, especially after meals, urges you to fall asleep.
Once a diabetic patient has eaten food, his blood sugar levels rise rapidly. Now, his body releases insulin in response. It causes a slight decrease in blood sugar levels, which makes you feel fatigued. You should calculate meals that can help you control this effect by a huge amount.
Inflammation
The second reason is chronic inflammation, in which you feel sleepy after eating. It is a common condition of diabetes that is linked to fatigue. According to the results of research studies, higher levels of inflammation is typically present in type 2 diabetic patients.
People with Type 2 diabetes must eat fibers Broccoli, spinach, Brussels sprouts, carrots, green beans. They must perform exercises like Plank, bicycle crunches, Russian twists, leg raises, mountain climbers. Also, taking medication along with vegetables and exercises can help you reduce fatigue with diabetes.
Other Possible Causes
Many other factors may also contribute to fatigue, which are as follows:
- Sleep for less than 5 hours.
- No exercises, walking and jogging
- Depression
- Pain
- Sleep disturbances due to children’s noises.
- Fluctuations in Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Normal weight: BMI 18.5–24.9
- Overweight: BMI 25–29.9
- Obesity: BMI 30 and above
Why Does Everyone Feel Sleepy After Eating?
Now, we will talk about the main reason to feel sleepy after eating. When we are finished with eating food, then our digestive system breaks down carbohydrates into simpler sugars, or glucose. You may have eaten rice, bread, pasta which have high content of carbohydrates etc. This glucose is then absorbed into the blood which increases the levels of blood sugar.
As blood sugar levels rise, our body tells the pancreas to release insulin. It is a hormone that helps cells take in glucose for energy. Now, cells use that glucose for getting energy. As this process of getting and using energy increases, which is responsible for making us feel sleepy after eating.
Symptoms Of Diabetes
Following are the symptoms that can identify whether you are suffering from diabetes or not:
- Excessive urination
- Excessive thirst
- Excessive hunger
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Slow healing of wounds
- Repeated or persistent infections
- Numbness in hands or feet
- Dry skin
Do You Need A Diagnosis?
If the symptoms of fatigue or sleepiness happen every time after meals, there might be a problem. Along with fatigue, if you are suffering from symptoms like excessive thirst and hunger, then it is the time for diagnosis. It can be any serious health problem, you must not ignore it.
After you visit the doctor, he will inquire about your symptoms. He will also ask you for some tests in a laboratory like Hba1c. These will help in an accurate diagnosis, whether you are feeling it due to diabetes or any other problem behind your symptoms.
Final Words
Falling asleep after eating is not a sign of diabetes, but it can be a sign of it. Especially if you have noted any other symptoms of diabetes, you must get a diagnosis in this case. Never hesitate to reach out to a doctor because a late diagnosis worsens the problems. If it’s not due to diabetes, then you need to make dietary changes. Health physicians also recommend dividing your diet into more meals to prevent it. Avoid high-sugar like sodas, and artificial flavored juices. Also you need to avoid high-fat foods like Bacon, pork belly, ribeye steak, duck breast, lamb chops. Once you are determined and you don’t eat fatty foods, these will not raise your blood sugar levels.
