why is it after eating turkey i go to sleep?

Answer 1

the chemical triptophan (sp.) causes you to feel drowsy

Answer 2

Good question! Turkey contains an enzyme called tryptophan which induces drowziness. That's why people fall asleep after eating Thanksgiving dinner. It isn't the amount of food eaten that makes a nap sound good -- it's the turkey. You can purchase tryptophan in health food stores as a sleep aid. This enzyme is naturally produced in the body and does not cause side effects like Ambien CR, or Lunesta. So if you want a good night's sleep, try tryptophan. It won't make you sleepy in the morning when it wears off.

Answer 3

I see that everyone said Tryptophan. But I read last year that its effects aren't true. It is between a mental thing and from eating too much that makes you sleepy. I'm not sure if that is true or not, but I only get sleepy on Thanksgiving day and not ever when I eat a Turkey sandwich or when I eat turkey after Thanksgiving day.

Answer 4

Turkey does have the makings of a natural sedative in it, an amino acid called tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, meaning that the body cannot manufacture it. The body has to get tryptophan and other essential amino acids from food. Tryptophan helps the body produce the B-vitamin niacin, which, in turn, helps the body produce serotonin, a remarkable chemical that acts as a calming agent in the brain and plays a role in sleep. So you might think that if you eat a lot of turkey, your body would produce more serotonin and you would feel calm and want a nap.

Answer 5

TRIPTOPHAN!!!!
heres more:
According to popular belief, tryptophan in turkey meat causes drowsiness [6]. Turkey does contain tryptophan, which does have a documented sleep-inducing effect as it is readily converted into Serotonin by the body. However, tryptophan is effective only when taken on its own as a free amino acid. Tryptophan in turkey is found as part of a protein, and, in small enough amounts, this mechanism seems unlikely [7].

A more-likely hypothesis is that the ingestion of large quantities of food, such as at a Thanksgiving feast, means that large quantities of both carbohydrates and branched-chain amino acids are consumed. Like carbohydrates, branched-chain amino acids require insulin to be transduced through the myocyte membranes, which, after a large meal, creates a competition among the amino acids and glucose for insulin, while simultaneously creating tryptophan's reduced competition with other amino acids for the Large Neutral Amino Acid Transporter protein for transduction across the blood-brain barrier. The result is a greater availability of tryptophan, via the Large Neutral Amino Acid Transporter, for conversion into serotonin by the raphe nuclei, which is then available for conversion into melatonin by the pineal gland. Drowsiness is the result.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tryptophan
heres the site so you can check it out

Answer 6

Turkey contains Tryptophan, which is a natural sleeping agent.

Everyone who eats turkey gets tired :)

Hope this helps!

Answer 7

Triptophan, naturally occurs in Turkey, makes you sleepy.

Answer 8

There is a chemical in turkey that makes you drowsy

Answer 9

It contains Tryptophan,an amino acid that increases brain levels of serotonin and/or melatonin, causing relaxation. It is also found in milk, meat, fish, and peanuts.

Answer 10

because the triptophan sleepy chemical in Turkey, not to mention when you eat alot your blood goes to your belly making you sleepy

Answer 11

turkey, cheese and lettuce are all proven to make you feel sleepy