It's Time to Stop Blaming Turkey For Your Post-Thanksgiving Slump
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With the holidays rapidly approaching, many of us are looking forward to big meals, fall festivities, and copious amounts of turkey. But as soon as the plates are cleared and the last slice of pumpkin pie is spoken for, the energy in the room starts to dwindle. Despite all the celebratory fanfare, many of us may end up feeling drowsy, low energy, or just ready for an early night. If you're familiar with this fateful post-Thanksgiving dip in energy, you may also know that turkey tends to take the blame. Word of mouth attributes most of this drowsiness to some mysterious component in the star dish — but does turkey actually make you sleepy? Or are there other culinary culprits at fault?
We already know that the "meat sweats" are real, but what about the turkey slump? To help us settle this turkey tale once and for all, we asked a registered dietitian if turkey can actually make you feel tired. And if so — do any of us eat enough of it to feel the effects in the first place? Read on to uncover the truth about turkey, including what else might be making you sleepy on Thanksgiving (and spoiler alert: it's not just the food).
Experts Featured in This Article:
Maxine Yeung, MS, RD, is a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer, and national board certified health and wellness coach.
Does Turkey Make You Sleepy?
The short answer is no — turkey is most likely not to blame for your post-dinner nap. While turkey does contain tryptophan — an essential amino acid tied to mood and sleep — the amount in turkey is still fairly low. According to Maxine Yeung, MS, RD, you can expect about a quarter gram of tryptophan per three ounce portion of cooked turkey breast. "For comparison, two large eggs contain one third gram of tryptophan, which is already more than what you'd get from a single serving of turkey breast," Yeung says.
How Much Turkey Would It Take to Make You Tired?
Research published in the Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience found that a full gram of tryptophan may help those with mild insomnia and a long sleep latency fall asleep faster. A single serving of turkey, however, only contains a fourth of this amount.
Building off of this study, it'd take quite a bit of turkey to actually make you tired. "To get that amount, you'd need to eat a minimum of about 1.33 pounds of cooked turkey breast," Yeung explains. "Even then, when tryptophan is consumed as part of food, your body uses it for various functions, which weakens its impact on promoting sleep. This means you'd need to eat even more turkey in one sitting for it to have a noticeable drowsy effect." So don't go blaming the turkey . . . even if you help yourself to seconds.
What Makes You Sleepy After a Big Meal?
If it's not the turkey, then what might be causing that familiar post-holiday tiredness? Yeung says there's actually a couple possible explanations.
- Digesting larger portions: "With all of the side dishes, like stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving meals tend to be high in fat, sodium, refined carbohydrates, and sugar," Yeung says. "These dishes, combined with larger than usual portions, is likely what's causing you to feel that post meal slump as your digestion is working overtime."
- Alcohol consumption: Eat, drink, and be merry . . . unless you fall asleep first. "Alcohol can also play a part in post-meal fatigue," Yeung says. "As a depressant, it slows down your central nervous system, promoting feelings of relaxation and sleepiness. Plus, it can also lead to eating more, which only adds to that drowsy feeling."
- Holiday stress: Sometimes just showing up for the holidays feels like a feat, not to mention the cooking, organizing, and socializing involved. "Let's not underestimate the impact of holiday stress on our energy levels," Yeung says. "Between the planning, cooking, cleaning, possible travel, potential lack of sleep, and heightened emotions that comes with holidays, once the meal is over, the mental and physical exhaustion of navigating Thanksgiving might just hit you all at once."
How to Avoid Post-Holiday Sleepiness
If you'd rather skip the tired, groggy stage of the night, here's a few expert-approved ways to beat the holiday slump.
- Portion control: Eat enough to feel satisfied, but try to avoid overeating to the point of discomfort if you're looking to keep your energy up.
- Try new things: Make sure your plate has some variety to it for easier digestion and more energy later on. That includes plenty of non-starchy vegetables, Yeung says.
- Eat throughout the day: "Saving up" for the big meal is a total misconception. Don't starve yourself in preparation for the big feast — rather, eat balanced meals throughout the day to prevent overeating, Yeung suggests.
- Stay hydrated: Sweet, alcoholic drinks can add up quickly. To avoid an alcohol-induced crash make sure to drink plenty of water and keep an eye on your total intake.
- Take a walk: "A walk after Thanksgiving dinner — or any large meal — can be a wonderful way to aid digestion and give your energy a little boost," Yeung says.
Chandler Plante (she/her) is an assistant health and fitness editor for PS. She has over four years of professional journalism experience, previously working as an editorial assistant for People magazine and contributing to Ladygunn, Millie, and Bustle Digital Group.