Why does sugar make me sleepy?!
Question:
Why does sugar make me sleepy?
I know everyone says that sugar makes them hyper. But it exhausts me most of the time. If I have something sweet I crash, so I try to never have sugar during the daytime. And if I have it before I go to bed, I have so much trouble waking up, because it makes me SO SLEEPY. Any ideas what it could be??
Answers:
It sounds like you are consuming sucrose, because glucose (usable form), fructose (fruit), dextrose, etc. are all very healthy and have no ill side effects when consumed in moderation. Sucrose not only makes you tired, but it also quickly dehydrates you; soda dehydrates because the sucrose requires more water than exists in the soda beverage.
When sucrose enters the stomach, it must be converted into the body's usuable form of sugar, glucose. This requires much water, and energy. This dehydrates your body and thus harms circulation and waste removal (kidneys, bladder, etc.) If your body is dehydrated, then the sugar content in your blood will increase in concentration to very high levels, and these two conditions lead to many bad side effects including hyperactivity, confusion, inability to focus, chemical and hormonal imbalances, stress, irritability, etc. The body requires more energy to process the sucrose than it gains from the resulting glucose conversion, thus after the initial sugar-high experienced in dehydrated people, there is a sugar crash (feeling very tired). The sugar-highly is merely the effect of immediate flooding of glucose into the bloodstream. The energy crash is a result of the net energy loss found after energy equilibrium has been re-established. You can also feel so sleepy because of dehydration. The best course of action is to replace sucrose (table sugar) with glucose (honey?), fructose (fruit), dextrose (vegetables), and the slow-burning carbohydrates (pastas, potatoes), to name a few. Also, always drink lots of water .. about a cup or two every hour. You will have so much postive and happy energy, alertness and clearness of thought, strong circulation, and efficient digestion.