Falling asleep eating breakfast, lunch and dinner

I crash daily after lunch, which is usually a light meal high in protein, veg and fruit. I have never understood this. It's very frustrating -- I lose at least 2 hours a day because of this. I don't have sleep apnea or any kind of sleep disorder; I do have several autoimmune illnesses. If anyone has ideas, please chime in.

@rrradar and @bayhorse, interestingly @SusanEllen66 started a very similar discussion at the same time as this one. See here:

- Falling Asleep While Eating Lunch! https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/falling-asleep-while-eating-lunch/

@bayhorse, it's not uncommon for people to take a nap mid-day often after lunch. My husband is religious about his 20 minute refresh and it is almost always only 20 minutes. It sounds like you fall into a deeper sleep for 2 hours or so and don't necessarily wake up refreshed. Is that right?

@rrradar, does your friend have an underlying medical condition that might help explain this need for sleep after eating? Does he sleep long each time?

@rrradar
Definitely, something is wrong, and he's lucky to have a caring friend in his life.
Unfortunately, we cannot diagnose on this forum as most of us are not physicians. That being said, your friend should start with a visit to his family physician for a complete check up with labs. There are several conditions that can cause the symptoms you describe including Sleep Apnea which results in excessive daytime fatigue and the ability to fall asleep at will. Other problems could include abnormal nocturnal biorhythms. Even some neurological conditions could be the culprit.
Please get your friend to a doctor as soon as possible, as a secondary concern could be that he may aspirate (suck food or liquid down his throat)on food left in his mouth while falling asleep which will cause Pneumonia.

Colleen. My friend is an otherwise healthy, 75-year-old man and doesn’t have any underlying medical conditions. What puzzles me is that he falls asleep immediately after eating. Directly after eating he heads for the bedroom or recliner in the living room. He sleeps 2-3 hours. I thought it was something he was eating at all 3 meals that dozed him off

@ladyaceintx1.
My friend sleeps soundly at night so I doubt sleep apnea is his problem. But the other possibilities you mentioned are scary and needs to be checked. I know someone who vomited during his sleep and required emergency hospitalization.

@colleenyoung I told my neurologist and he is sending me for a sleep study to rule out narcolepsy.

My experience was not just being sleepy.
I literally fell asleep with my hand UP IN THE AIR while holding a fork!
I wasn’t sleepy before that occurred either. It was like someone suddenly threw a blanket over me and poof…

Hi, Colleen: Yes, I fall asleep deeply and wake up disoriented. Sometimes, the need to sleep comes upon me when I'm still eating -- I almost feel drunk and have to lie down. I have discussed this with a nutritionist, and she mentioned that problem possibly was "leaky gut." I am using some gut supplements, but they don't really solve the problem.

Are you taking any medications. These can make you very sleepy, or have you been checked for sleep Apnea. Before my diagnosis, you could have put me in the corner, any time of day and I would have been fast asleep almost momentarily.
Gina5009

Hi, I just finished reading something that I have not seen mentioned in the comments. A very well known jockey back in the day, suddenly started falling asleep at the table during a meal and then his wife became very concerned as it began to happen doing other things. He fell asleep once while exercising a racehorse and fell out of the saddle and became fearful it would happen during a race. In the meantime, his wife had insisted he go to a doctor and he was diagnosed with STAGE 1 DIABETES. I feel your friend has a doctor who would have tested for that , but in this age of so many exotic diseases, sometimes the old ones are not found. Hope this helps. — eirrol

@SusanEllen66 Are you autoinmune? Hoy do you treat your narcolepsy? Thanks