Why do you feel sleepy after eating rice?

Indonesians may be familiar with breakfast with Nasi Uduk. This breakfast menu is the prima donna because of the tasty, sticky taste of rice, the choice of various side dishes at affordable prices, and easy to find everywhere. However, have you ever realized why after eating nasi uduk a few hours later you immediately feel sleepy? Come on, see the discussion below.

The cause of sleepiness appears after eating Nasi Uduk

This dish, known as Betawi specialty, is mostly made of rice and coconut milk. Rice itself is a high source of carbohydrates, while the coconut milk contains fat. The dose of coconut milk commonly used for processing uduk rice can be around 600 milliliters, and contains 150 grams of fat. The estimated total calorie content comes from rice and coconut milk only; not including the side dish.

One plate of uduk rice and its side dishes will be digested by the stomach into glucose, a simple sugar that is the source of energy for the body. The glucose supply will then be circulated into the bloodstream.

Now generally after eating, the body will release the hormones amillin, glucagon, and cholecistokinins which trigger satiety, increase blood sugar levels, make you feel full, and produce insulin to flow into each cell to make energy. At the same time, the brain also releases serotonin and melatonin hormones in response to the sensation of being full.

The more various side dishes you choose and the more portions, the more fat and calorie intake will enter the body. According to research from the University of Adelaide, eating foods high in fat and calories triggers the brain to produce more serotonin to make the amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan acid is what then triggers drowsiness after eating.

Eating full makes you lazy to move

Moreover, usually after eating a lot, you tend to choose to sit still or lie down because of the fullness. As a result, less glucose is used as energy and instead more reserves are stored. This excess glucose reserves will be stored as fat. Unused fat will make it easier for you to feel weak and sleepy.

Research from the journal SLEEP in 2013 also concluded that eating high-fat foods, such as nasi uduk, can make you sleepy during the day. Dr. Alexandros Vgontzas, M.D., a research member and lecturer in psychiatry at Penn State College of Medicine, said that in addition to making you sleepy, high-fat foods consumed at breakfast tend to reduce brain alertness during the day. As a result, you feel sleepy and lazy to move.

Head of research, dr. Yingting Cao, Ph.D, said that slowing down the brain's reaction will make you feel weak and mess up your sleep patterns at night. A chaotic sleep pattern will have an impact on feeling sleepy the next day. This study found that participants who were often sleepy at lunchtime ate fatty foods more often at breakfast.

So how do you prevent sleepiness after eating Nasi Uduk?

There is no need to avoid eating nasi uduk if you don't want to be sleepy while on the move. If you are a big fan of Nasi Uduk and want to continue having breakfast with this delicious menu, here are some tips you can cheat:

1. Eat half a portion of uduk rice

Instead of eating a full serving right away, it's better to eat half a portion for breakfast. Considering the high fat and calorie content in Nasi Uduk, most of your meals can risk making you sleepy later.

2. Sleep well at night

If you are sleep deprived or used to staying up late, your body will automatically look for high calorie intake to boost energy. That's why you may be accustomed to breakfast with excessive portions.

Therefore, make it a habit to get regular sleep to meet the 7-8 hours of sleep every night.