Slouching or, even worse, lying down right after eating can encourage food to move back up and out of your stomach into your esophagus. Remaining upright and avoiding positions in which you’re leaning back for two to three hours after a large meal will minimize the risk for heartburn, Dr. Saha advises.

As per nature too, one should bathe before eating, because when we take bath, every cell of the body is re-energized and we feel fresh leading to brain sending signals that the body is hungry for nutrients.” She further adds, “It is advisable to wait for at least 35-40 minutes after any meal to take bath.”

Bathing after a meal delays digestion. The blood around the stomach flows to other parts of the body during a shower instead of helping with digestion.

Lying down after eating may cause indigestion due to the rise of stomach acid. If you have GERD, you should avoid lying down for 3 hours following meals.

Lying down (or not) When you do lie down, though (ideally at least three hours after a meal), consider lying on your left side, since that position promotes better digestion by protecting against heartburn and allowing gravity to more efficiently pull waste down through the colon.

Digestion benefits and left-side sleeping However, the location of the stomach is a clue. The stomach’s natural position is on the left side, where it can digest food more effectively. Gravity helps the waste travel from the small intestine to the large intestine.

Consuming caffeine, fat, carbohydrates or sugar in the hours before your nap can keep you awake. If your stomach is grumbling, try something that contains protein and calcium—like a glass of milk. Nap after lunch. In general, the best time to power nap is right after lunch.

Blood flow to the small intestine “dramatically increases” after a person eats, says Dr. Tomonori Kishino, a professor of health science at Japan’s Kyorin University. And as blood is pumped into the gut to fuel digestion, a corresponding drop in blood flow to the brain could trigger feelings of sleepiness, he says.

An amino acid called tryptophan, which occurs in many protein-rich foods, helps the body produce serotonin. Carbohydrates help the body absorb tryptophan. For these reasons, eating a meal rich in both protein and carbohydrates may make a person feel sleepy.

A lack of sleep can cause an imbalance of hormone levels, making you feel hungry even when your body doesn’t need food, says Petre. The hunger hormones ghrelin and leptin stimulate and suppress appetite, respectively—and when you’re sleep-deprived, ghrelin levels go up and leptin levels go down.

You may feel hungry frequently if your diet lacks protein, fiber, or fat, all of which promote fullness and reduce appetite. Extreme hunger is also a sign of inadequate sleep and chronic stress. Additionally, certain medications and illnesses are known to cause frequent hunger.