Sneaky Culprit to Daytime Sleepiness Caught

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Sneaky Culprit to Daytime Sleepiness Caught

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Headline, 2nd August 2008 - Mr Sandman Attacked Woman in Broad Daylight - Well... sort of.

I was just enjoying my morning newspaper and breakfast at one the popular local Indian joint for some 'Nasi Lemak' (literally translate as "fatty rice" but is actually rice cooked in coconut milk (like rissoto instead of using butter and cheese) with a side dish of extra spicy anchovies and fried egg) a favourite breakfast dish of the locals when just 10 minutes into enjoying it, the words on my newspaper started to look like co-joined siamese twins sentences jumbled into one big lump of a black hole.

I'm thinking, I know the news is in english - but I just can't seem to make out the blurry sentences to make any sense!

Mr Sandman it seems, had made his moves.

Have you experienced it, when everytime you eat something that is high in carbohydrate (be it pizza, sandwich, noodles, rice or pasta) the same thing almost-always happen: finding yourself fighting the irresistable urge of putting your head on the table and snore away.

Its not just mental chemistry but this in medical terms is called : High Carbo narcolepsy.

And the evil snit that makes us so sleepy after a good meal is actually the starch in the carb itself. A simple recalling of chemistry lesson would remind you that carbohydrate (CHO) are composed of only 1 or 2 molecules called "sugars".

Carbohydrate which are composed of many molecules joined together are called "starches".

When even a doppio espresso could not save me from the pull of this nap attack, I was determined to get some explanations (before I succumb to it indefinitely).

Carbohydrate of course provides the body's main source of energy - as certain parts of the body (the central nervous system, parts of kidney, red blood cells must have a constant  CHO for energy formation).

As incredible the human body is, under normal circumstances these tissues are unable to burn other sources of fuel! There goes my plan for tofu diet..

And this is where the evil Queen lies, as although carbohydrate is a major source of energy it can also make us sleepy because of their impact on brain chemistry,

The carbo consumption can increase the neurotransmitter called serotonin, which has a calming, sleep inducing effect on the body. In a more graphic explanation, eating rich carb meals would result in large diversion of blood flow to the gut, resulting in relative decrease of blood flow to the brain which then slows down its activity and the "victim" becomes sublimely sleepy.

Thus to counter this, a low-carb diet or high protein diet are excellent to combat high-carb narcolepsy. For instance if you find yourself falling asleep after breakfast or lunch, cut down on your starch intake and increase on the proteins (add more meat in your club sandwich instead of asking for a thicker slice of bread).

Or instead of bagels or donuts, have some snacks on nuts to keep awake during afternoon business meetings.

But if you can't sleep at night or stressed out, try having a slice of bread with some jam on it to calm you down.

And if all that don't work - just give me 5 minutes for some good ol' shut eye!