Table of contents:
- Why are we often sleepy when fasting?
- Why does the body's circadian rhythm change during fasting?
- 2 to 4 pm is a time when fasting is prone to drowsiness
- How do you get around sleepiness during fasting?
Every year, in the month of Ramadan, healthy Muslims are obliged to fast. Changes in diet and activity during Ramadan can affect our biological clock and metabolism. As a result, you may often become sleepy while fasting.
Why are we often sleepy when fasting?
Drowsiness during fasting is caused by changes in the circadian rhythm, aka the body's biological clock. The circadian rhythm itself is a work schedule for the various systems and organs of the human body.
For example, which organs have to work hard at this time and which ones have to rest for a certain period of time.
The circadian rhythm that regulates the wake-sleep cycle in humans is one of the easiest to observe on a daily basis. This rhythm is regulated by the hypothalamic nerves located in the human brain.
Various studies have shown that the body needs sleep to stay healthy and maintain physical and social functions, therefore sleep patterns are linked to how a person performs during the day.
The month of Ramadan requires Muslims to fast during the day. This can have an impact on changes in sleep patterns.
Activities such as eating, drinking, social interactions, and exercise are often suspended into the evening, reducing sleep time and sleep quality in Ramadan.
These changes, although not severe, can cause a person to be drowsy or unable to concentrate during the day.
Why does the body's circadian rhythm change during fasting?
Changes in diet from initially three times a day to twice a day at night, accompanied by increased activity at night, can change a person's metabolism, such as core body temperature and sleep patterns.
The month of Ramadan which coincides with summer in a country near the poles can cause the fasting time to increase compared to the dry or cold season, therefore changes in lifestyle that occur can be felt more.
Several studies have shown that fasting can cause changes in circadian rhythms. When fasting, core body temperature and the production of the hormone cortisol during the day decrease, and the release of the hormone melatonin is also reported to be reduced during fasting.
Please note, melatonin is the main hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle by changing the body's core temperature, while cortisol which is called the "stress hormone" helps us to stay awake during the day.
2 to 4 pm is a time when fasting is prone to drowsiness
In the month of Ramadan, Muslims often postpone their sleeping hours in order to have more time to eat, drink, chat, and do other activities at night.
In addition, during the fasting month, there is also tarawih worship which can increase sleep time delay for some people. The habit of eating and snacking at night during fasting, as well as physical activity or exercise, can increase your core body temperature which leads to sleep disturbances at night.
The things above ultimately resulted in changes in sleep patterns in the month of Ramadan. Research shows that on average there is an hour delay in sleep during the fasting month, and sleep time is reduced by 30-60 minutes, which in turn makes the fasting person sleepy during the day.
Examination using the EEG-based Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) shows that drowsiness is mainly felt at 14:00 to 16:00 in people who are fasting.
This causes a threefold increase in the frequency of naps during Ramadan, although this condition usually returns to normal within 15 days of fasting. Absence of caffeine and nicotine intake during the day can also increase drowsiness in some people.
How do you get around sleepiness during fasting?
Fasting should not be an excuse for us to reduce our performance at work or at school during Ramadan. Instead, we have to make it a challenge in order to improve our next performance.
Here are tips you can do to stay fresh during the day while fasting.
- Keep a sleep schedule at night and try to live it during Ramadan. Lack of sleep can cause the body to have "sleep debt" so that we are sleepy during the day.
- Try frequent exposure to sunlight during the day to strengthen your body's circadian rhythm.
- Avoid light from the screen gadget or television before going to bed at night.
- Take care of your diet, because a balanced diet can make you sleep well. Some people cannot sleep on an empty stomach, so a small snack may be recommended, but large meals can disrupt sleep. Some sources recommend drinking milk, because the tryptophan content in milk can trigger drowsiness.
- Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages at least 4 hours before bedtime.
- Take a nap if needed, sleeping for 15-30 minutes is enough to rest the body to stay fresh at noon.
