Sleepiness after eating, it turns out, is physiologically justified. Modern scientists have proven that sleep after eating is necessary, in any case, it is desirable. Practical Japanese and residents of other Asian countries applied the discoveries of scientists in practice and introduced mandatory sleep for employees in the afternoon in government institutions.
After eating, I want to sleep. Animals that are not constrained by the norms of behavior in society, having a hearty meal, must fall asleep. Drowsiness after eating is characteristic of almost all living things. The occurrence of such a state is explained by two versions.
For quite a long time, there was only one explanation for an afternoon nap: the stomach, having received a portion of food, begins to process it, and the blood rushes to the stomach to provide it with energy for this work. Redistribution of blood in the body leads to the fact that the brain receives less blood, and therefore less oxygen. This is what causes drowsiness.
But not too long ago, another version appeared. Scientists in the UK (from the University of Manchester) found that after eating, the activity of those brain cells that maintain a state of wakefulness decreases. The speed of reaction also decreases, the process of thinking slows down. And the reason is that an increase in blood glucose (glucose enters the body with food) disrupts the transmission of nerve impulses. In particular, cells that synthesize the vitality hormone orexin stop sending signals.
On the other hand, if blood glucose levels are low, more orexin is produced than needed and it is difficult for a hungry person to fall asleep. It is almost impossible to redo the physiology of the body, and it is not necessary. Therefore, scientists do not recommend doing intellectual work immediately after eating. In many Asian countries, various institutions have introduced afternoon naps for employees and equipped sleeping places. And in Spain, the tradition of siesta - an afternoon rest - has existed since time immemorial and, as it has now turned out, is physiologically justified.
