Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

NEWSLETTER
Sign up for our twice-weekly newsletter!

Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

Weekly check up: turkey making you tired

With Thanksgiving only a few days away, talk of “the turkey coma” resurges. But is it true? Does eating turkey really make you sleepy?

“What’s been speculated is that turkey contains a natural sedative called tryptophan,” said Student Health Services Outreach Coordinator Susan Haney. “It’s an essential amino acid and a precursor to seratonin, which can make you sleepy.”

Even though tryptophan can sometimes be used to treat insomnia, Haney said she’s skeptical that the amount of the chemical you eat on Thanksgiving will send you to bed.

“What some researchers feel is that the amount of tryptophan that is in turkey is probably not enough to make you feel sleepy because it usually only works on an empty stomach,” she said.

In reality, it may be everything else you eat besides the Thanksgiving turkey that causes post-meal drowsiness. Haney said the high carbohydrate content in most of the side dishes could be the culprit.

“The mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, bread, stuffing and desserts all have a lot of simple carbohydrates in them that metabolize very fast, so you get a quick rush of energy, but then you feel very tired,” she said.

Drinking alcohol during the meal can also increase fatigue. On Thanksgiving, people often drink more alcoholic beverages and start drinking earlier in the day, she said.

Haney said the combination of these factors is probably the real reason people need some shut-eye after after the big feast. But portion control could help stave-off the nap and that inevitable bloated feeling.

“The turkey is actually a good source of protein. If you eat some turkey and watch your portions of the sides and especially dessert, you should feel much better after the meal,” Haney said.

And for those of you concerned with putting on the holiday weight, rest assured. Thanksgiving won’t be the thing to tip the scales.

“The weight gain from the Thanksgiving meal is a misconception,” Haney said. “Weight gain or weight loss is not determined by a single meal.”

So limit your servings and have a healthy Thanksgiving meal. The best part? More leftovers to munch on the next day.

-Nour Hammour

“Weekly check up” is a regular feature in the Life section. If you have a health topic you want to know more about, e-mail [email protected].

More to Discover
Donate to The GW Hatchet