CAIRO - With the timing of the two respective meals of iftar (meal breaking the fast at sunset) and sohour (last meal before the fast resumes at dawn) during the month of Ramadan, many fasting people suffer from a strong desire to sleep after iftar. Dr Iman el-Sayed, consultant of physiotherapy and obesity, Cairo University, attributes the problem to several causes. Following long hours of fasting people, often break their fast with a sweet Ramadan drink usually containing soaked dates and other dried fruit leading to blood being withdrawn from all parts of the body, including the brain, going to the stomach, says el-Sayed. So the average amount of blood in the brain is reduced, causing a decrease in the blood circulation, creating a desire of sleep, she added. Additionally, these sweet drinks and traditional dried dates soaked in milk lead to a raised level of insulin in the blood, el-Sayed noted. Insulin interacts with a substance in the brain known as tryptophan and, through its effects, another tranquillising substance known as serotonin is created, which contributes to people's tendency to sleep. Also, some iftar foods contain carbohydrates, like rice, pasta and potatoes which also make the insulin index high and people tend to feel sleepy. So, salad and other foods should be included in his meal. Another sleep-inducing factor is the effort exerted during the day without eating and lack of glucose. In addition, following more than 15 hours of fasting, people can eat a lot of food, which leads to a decreased function of respiratory system due to the stomach pressing on the diaphragm causing discharge serotonin leading to the need to sleep. Therefore, el-Sayed urges fasting people to break their fast with date and milk and then take a 15 minutes rest, noting that prayer movements such as prostration contributes to the restoration of blood into the brain once again. Generally, it is preferable to take small portions of food at several intervals than large portions concentrated in only two meals a day, el-Sayed stresses. "Some people fasting are used to eating large quantities of food when they break their fast. However, that creates a serious problem in the body storing huge amounts of fats, leading to being overweight by the end of Ramadan in addition to creating digestion problems that hit the stomach and intestine," added el-Sayed.
