How to overcome "Food Coma" condition of drowsiness after lunch
It is believed that the office worker or the worker who spends most of their time sitting still must have had symptoms of "tummy, sagging eyelids" will have more or less symptoms. It is often or as long as it depends on the person, but it is definitely an unpleasant symptom for working people.
What is "Food Coma"?
Food Coma, or Postprandial somnolence, is the type of drowsiness that you want to fall asleep. This is a symptom that occurs after eating lunch, we enjoyed the fact that I do not have anything to harm healthy body but unobtrusive. Distract And reduce work efficiency, so this symptom is more dangerous to work. If you happen to nod while sitting at work Or exhausted, eyelids will close at the meeting
The name for the Food Coma may sound strange. But this is actually the name used by the medical profession, the key factor for doctors to use this name. Because it is caused by the fact that we eat a big lunch Especially carbohydrate, protein and fat foods after these foods have been digested. Will get an amino acid called tryptophan (Tryptophan) when it enters the nervous system. Will cause the brain to relieve tension When the body is relaxed Therefore drowsiness
Major factors causing Food Coma
In fact, the factor contributing to Food Coma is not just eating a full lunch. But there are other factors involved as well. You can summarize the causes of Food Coma as follows.
- Eating too much carbohydrate, protein, and fat during lunch These foods take quite a long time to digest. Get the amino acid tryptophan That makes the body feel relaxed until sleepy
- Not getting enough rest
- Brain exhaustion due to overworking the body's limits
- The body carries less blood to the brain. Because blood must be brought to the organs in the digestive system during digestion Because food is difficult to digest Will take a long time to digest The blood was then drawn to use that area.
- Not enough oxygen in the blood Or there is too much carbon dioxide in the blood There was sleepiness. Which is a mechanism by which the body tries to bring more oxygen into the bloodstream
- The brain changes the amino acid tryptophan. As a substance Serotonin (Serotonin) and melatonin (Melatonin), these two substances stimulate a feeling of drowsiness.
How sleepy, but we (must) fix it.
Because the drowsiness during work makes us unable to concentrate Work efficiency is reduced It also made it into the focus of the master. So we have to find a way to get rid of this drowsiness. (Because this is working time Not at bedtime) by doing the following:
- Get enough sleep At least 5 hours or more. If the body is fully rested and sleeps enough, the chances of drowsiness during the day are less.
- After lunch Should have some movement of the body. Like walking out to eat outside the office (Walking - walk back) will help the blood flow to the body better.
- Adjust food habits Especially lunch Try not to eat too full. Cut down on carbohydrate, protein, and fat foods and chew your food thoroughly. It helps the digestive system work easier and better. The body produces less substances of sleep.
- Drink enough water So that the body receives water and oxygen to the brain fully. Resulting in refreshing brain and body Including making you want to go to the bathroom more often When he gets up and changes his posture, it keeps the body awake.
- Clear important or brain-intensive tasks in the morning because the brain is awake. Picking up brain-intensive tasks To do in the afternoon Will make you feel tired, exhausted, tired, and lazy, then you will be sleepy
- Allocate time for lunch If you know that you can not resist Find the opportunity to nap in the rest of just 15-20 minutes, it will help to rejuvenate.
