Trivia Junction

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European Siesta, real life cause and factoids

For countless travelers to Europe and elsewhere who have been frustrated by the lack of, uh, activity during the hours of siesta (generally noon to 2 p.m.), we now offer a neurological explanation.

Scientists at the University of Manchester in England say they've pinpointed why, after a big lunch, most people feel sleepy and less active. It seems that a big infusion of glucose – the sugar in food – blocks neurons from producing vital proteins called orexins that regulate our state of consciousness.

Put another way, a big dose of glucose temporarily turns off – or at least dials down – our brains.

“This may well provide an explanation for after-meal tiredness and why it is difficult to sleep when hungry,” said Denis Burdakov, the lead researcher of the study, to be published this week in the journal Neuron.

More practically, Burdakov says the findings could help explain what's happening at the cellular level in some sleeping and eating disorders.

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