3 Reasons Why Chocolate Makes You Sleepy

1. It Can Lead to a Sugar Crash

When this happens, your body may overcompensate for the extra sugar by rapidly dropping your blood glucose levels aptly named a sugar crash which can lead to a decrease in energy and feelings of sleepiness.

• Fatigue
• Hunger
• Irritability
• Shakiness
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Difficulty concentrating

Fix it: To avoid sugar crashes, eat a nutritious diet and balance out sugary snacks by pairing them with foods that are high in fiber, fat and protein, according to Sanford Health.

Tip

Anyone can experience fatigue after eating too much sugar, but if you have additional symptoms like confusion, abnormal behavior or blurred vision, then it could indicate a more serious condition like diabetes, per Sanford Health.

2. It's High in Fat

Here's another reason why chocolate makes you tired: It's high in fat.

Most commercial chocolate particularly milk chocolate is highly processed and contain a solid dose of saturated fat, per the Cleveland Clinic. And it takes a while for your body to digest fatty foods, which can make you feel sluggish, according to URMC.

Fix it: Eating chocolate in moderation (which is a 1-ounce portion, per the Cleveland Clinic), may help you avoid taking in too much saturated fat.

Learn more

If chocolate makes you sleepy, the type of sweet you're eating may also have something to do with it. Plain dark chocolate without any fillings that contains 70 to 80 percent cocoa has the least amount of fat, per the Cleveland Clinic.

3. It's High in Magnesium

Still, dark chocolate does have the potential to make you sleepy due to its high magnesium content.

Just 1 ounce of dark chocolate that is 70 to 80 percent cocoa contains 64 milligrams of magnesium, per the Cleveland Clinic.

Fix it: Stick to a 1-ounce serving of dark chocolate with a high cocoa content to avoid feeling sleepy.

Read more on: livestrong