Psychology Update — Why Do You Get Sleepy After Eating?

Posted May 29th, 2023 by David Berg & filed under Animal Behavior Studies, Introduction To Psychology, Motivation and Emotion, Nervous System, Psychology Update, Research Methods, Sleep Disorders, States of Consciousness & Sleep.

TITLE

Why Do You Get Sleepy After Eating?

DESCRIPTION

A genuinely interesting article about the effects of eating on feeling sleepy, or in other words how behavior and physiological functioning interact in our daily lives. “If eating makes you tired, you’ve got something in common with most people—and, for that matter, with most living things. Researchers have turned up evidence of “postprandial sleepiness,” also known as a food coma, in insects, snakes, worms and rats.” What is interesting about the article is not only the fact that we may experience sleepiness after eating but the various hypotheses about why this happens. From a “Psychology as a Science” perspective the article reviews various types of research into the field.

For Psychology students who are fascinated by the experimental and scientific perspective, this is a great article to read!

SOURCE

Time, January 30, 2019, by Markham Heid

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://time.com/5515553/sleepy-after-eating/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=sfmc&utm_campaign=++&utm_content=+++20230206+++body&et_rid=207786296&lctg=207786296

(Tiny URL) https://tinyurl.com/4xj7mzzp

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

•First, what is the meaning of “postprandial sleepiness,” also known as a “food coma”?

•Are humans the only animals affected? Please provide examples.

•What are the various hypotheses regarding why we feel sleepy? And further, who is research conducted?