In short
- USDA data list about 0.36 grams of tryptophan per 100 grams of roasted turkey breast meat, almost exactly the same as roasted chicken breast meat.
- A 2022 meta-analysis found tryptophan supplements shortened time awake after falling asleep, with larger effects at doses of 1 gram or more a day, but didn't change other sleep measures.
- A classic 1971 study found that eating carbohydrate raised tryptophan and serotonin in the brains of rats; it was not a study of people or of holiday meals.
- A 2025 scoping review found only nine studies that met its criteria on food intake, blood glucose and workplace sleepiness, and concluded that diet affects sleepiness but few studies have tested it directly.
- A review of studies in healthy volunteers found alcohol helps people fall asleep faster but increases sleep disruption in the second half of the night.
- Cleveland Clinic says too much alcohol before bed can relax the muscles that keep the upper airway open, which can cause snoring.
Turkey doesn't make you sleepy on its own. It contains tryptophan, but USDA data show roasted turkey breast has about the same amount as roasted chicken breast. The famous holiday slump is better explained by the whole day: a very large meal, alcohol, a short night before and a long day of cooking or travel. That's useful to know, because those are things you can change, and some of them also explain why holiday nights come with extra snoring.
Does turkey really make you sleepy?
Turkey doesn't make you sleepier than other foods. The idea comes from tryptophan, an amino acid that has been linked to the brain chemical serotonin. Turkey does contain tryptophan, but so does chicken, in almost the same amount.
USDA FoodData Central lists 0.364 grams of tryptophan per 100 grams of roasted turkey breast meat without skin. Roasted chicken breast meat lists 0.362 grams per 100 grams. Those are essentially the same. If tryptophan in turkey were the cause of the post-dinner slump, an ordinary chicken dinner would knock you out just as well.
How much tryptophan does it take to affect sleep?
The tryptophan doses that affect sleep in studies are given as supplements, and they're larger than what a normal serving of turkey provides.
Research: limited (what this means)A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis in Nutrition Reviews collected 18 articles on tryptophan and sleep and pooled data from 4 of them. Tryptophan supplements shortened wake after sleep onset, the time spent awake after first falling asleep. People taking 1 gram or more a day did better on that measure than those taking less. Supplements didn't change other parts of sleep.
For comparison, 100 grams of roasted turkey breast has about a third of a gram of tryptophan, according to USDA figures. The studies also tested supplements, not food. So the research doesn't support the idea that a turkey dinner works like a sleep aid. It's also a reminder that the evidence here is limited: the meta-analysis drew on only a handful of studies.
Is it the carbs, not the turkey?
The carb theory is plausible but unproven in people. It traces back partly to a 1971 study in Science by Fernstrom and Wurtman. In rats, eating carbohydrate (or receiving insulin) led to rising tryptophan in the blood and brain and more serotonin in the brain. That finding is often used to argue that stuffing and potatoes, not the turkey, are what make you drowsy.
But a rat study from 1971 is a long way from a holiday table. A 2025 scoping review in Nutrients looked for studies on food intake, blood glucose and sleepiness at work. Out of 521 articles found, only nine met its criteria. The authors concluded that diet affects sleepiness, but that few studies have directly evaluated how blood sugar swings and sleepiness relate. In plain terms, after-meal sleepiness is real for many people, and the exact cause is still not well studied.
What else causes the holiday slump?
The holiday slump most likely comes from several ordinary things stacking up, and alcohol is the one with the clearest evidence.
A 2013 review of studies in healthy volunteers, published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, found that alcohol at all doses shortened the time to fall asleep. That's the drowsiness you feel after a glass or two at the table. The same review found alcohol increased sleep disruption in the second half of the night, which is why a holiday evening can leave you groggy the next morning. The NHS says alcohol can make you feel sleepy at first but lead to poor sleep later in the night.
The rest is the shape of the day. Holiday meals are often big and served mid-afternoon. Many people got up early to cook or travel, or stayed up late the night before. The NHS notes that heavy meals or foods that are hard to digest can affect sleep. None of these needs tryptophan to explain why you want the couch.
You can test this on yourself. Notice whether you feel the same slump after a big chicken dinner, or after a holiday meal where you skip the wine and slept well the night before. That comparison will tell you more about your own afternoon slump than the tryptophan in the turkey ever will.
| Suspect | What the evidence says | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey's tryptophan | Similar to chicken; sleep effects in studies came from supplements, larger at 1 g a day or more | Not the main cause |
| Carbohydrates | Raised brain tryptophan and serotonin in a 1971 rat study; not shown clearly in people | Possible, unproven |
| Meal size | The NHS says heavy meals can affect sleep; research on after-meal sleepiness is thin | Likely contributes |
| Alcohol | Faster sleep onset, then more disruption later in the night | Strong contributor |
| Short sleep and a long day | Early starts and late nights add up | Likely contributes |
Why do people snore more after a holiday dinner?
Two likely reasons people snore more after a holiday dinner are alcohol and sleep position. Cleveland Clinic says having too much to drink before bed can relax the muscles that keep your upper airway open, which can cause snoring. It also notes that sleeping on your back is more associated with snoring, because the tongue can relax toward the back of the throat. Dozing off on your back on the couch after dinner is close to a perfect setup for it. If you tend to nod off after the meal, take the nap lying on your side, with a cushion behind your back, rather than propped up on a sofa with your head tipped back.
The NHS lists sleeping on your side and not drinking too much alcohol among the simple changes that help snoring. For snoring from a blocked or narrow nose, it lists nasal dilators or strips that hold the nose open. Our guides to alcohol and snoring and snoring after a big meal cover each in more depth.
If a stuffy nose or an open mouth is part of your snoring, nose breathing support is worth adding on holiday nights. A combined routine like the Titan Sleep System pairs nasal strips with mouth tape. Skip the mouth tape on nights you've had a lot to drink or feel nauseous, and see mouth tape and alcohol for why.
We don't recommend mouth tape for children. It's only for adults who can breathe comfortably through the nose.
Check this first. Skip mouth tape and see a doctor if you snore loudly, wake up gasping, have been told you stop breathing in your sleep, or can't breathe comfortably through your nose. More on safety
How do you sleep well after a holiday feast?
You sleep well after a holiday feast by managing the timing more than the menu. These steps help:
- Eat the main meal earlier in the day if you can, and keep any late-evening plate small.
- Alternate drinks with water and stop alcohol a few hours before bed. The NHS suggests avoiding alcohol, tea and coffee for at least 6 hours before bed.
- If you nap, keep it short and early so bedtime isn't pushed back.
- Go to bed at your usual time and get up at your usual time the next day, rather than sleeping in.
- If you snore, sleep on your side, and use a nasal strip if your nose feels blocked.
For the rest of the season, our guide on how to sleep better during the holidays covers travel, guest beds and dry heated air.
When should you see a doctor?
See a doctor if you're sleepy most days, not just after a big meal, or if your snoring comes with other warning signs. The NHS advises seeing a GP if you feel sleepy during the day, your breathing stops and starts while you sleep, or you make gasping or choking noises while you sleep, because you may have sleep apnea, which can be serious if not treated. Our sleep apnea warning signs guide has more detail.
If your nose is blocked most nights, get it checked. If you're pregnant, ask your clinician before using a new sleep product. Heartburn that keeps waking you at night is also worth raising with a doctor.
Our pick (paid partner): Titan Sleep System
For holiday nights when snoring or a stuffy nose is part of the picture, our pick is the Titan Sleep System. We haven't tested or ranked sleep products ourselves; this is our recommendation, based on how Titan describes the system. It supports nose breathing; it isn't a remedy for overeating or a late night.
Titan describes the Sleep System as TitanAir Nasal Strips and Titan Bamboo Silk Mouth Tape together as one nightly system. Titan says the strips are drug-free external nasal dilators with flexible spring-loaded bands, worn just above the flare of the nostrils on the soft part of the nose, not the bony bridge. The tape is a bamboo silk strip that Titan describes as soft and breathable, with a SilkSeal adhesive it says is made to grip through stubble and beards.
Titan says every batch is third-party tested and certified PFAS-free, and it offers a 30-night guarantee. If you only want help with a blocked nose, TitanAir Nasal Strips are sold separately.
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Common questions
Does turkey really make you sleepy?
Not on its own. Turkey contains tryptophan, but USDA data show roasted turkey breast has about the same amount as roasted chicken breast, and nobody blames chicken for an afternoon nap. The sleepiness after a holiday meal is more likely linked to the size of the meal, alcohol, an early start and a late night before.
How much tryptophan is in turkey?
USDA FoodData Central lists about 0.364 grams of tryptophan per 100 grams of roasted turkey breast meat without skin. Roasted chicken breast meat lists 0.362 grams. In a 2022 meta-analysis, the sleep effects of tryptophan supplements were larger at doses of 1 gram or more a day, taken as a supplement rather than food.
Why do I get so tired after a big holiday meal?
Probably several things at once. Holiday meals are large, and alcohol, a short night before and hours of cooking or travel add to it, and alcohol is known to disrupt sleep later in the night. Research on after-meal sleepiness is thinner than you'd expect, so no single cause is proven.
Do carbs make you sleepier than turkey?
That's a popular theory, based partly on a 1971 study in rats showing carbohydrate raised brain tryptophan and serotonin. Whether a plate of stuffing and potatoes does the same in people hasn't been shown clearly. A 2025 review found few studies directly testing how food and blood sugar affect sleepiness.
Why do I snore more after a holiday dinner?
Alcohol is a likely reason. Cleveland Clinic says too much to drink before bed relaxes the muscles that keep your upper airway open, which can cause snoring. Falling asleep on your back on the couch adds to it, since back sleeping lets the tongue relax toward the throat.
Is it OK to nap after a holiday meal?
A short nap is fine for most people. Keeping it brief and early in the afternoon makes it less likely to push back your bedtime, and lying on your side helps if you tend to snore, since the NHS lists side sleeping as a way to reduce snoring.
Sources
- Turkey, retail parts, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted
- Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted
- The impact of tryptophan supplementation on sleep quality: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression
- Brain serotonin content: increase following ingestion of carbohydrate diet
- The Influence of Food Intake and Blood Glucose on Postprandial Sleepiness and Work Productivity: A Scoping Review
- Alcohol and sleep I: effects on normal sleep
- Sleep problems
- Wondering Why You Snore? 5 Possible Causes
- Snoring
- Titan Sleep System
About this article
- Research
- 10 published sources, listed above.
- Evidence
- Limited. How we rate it
- Last checked
- November 3, 2026
- Funding
- Paid partner of Titan Recovery. Their ads are labeled.
- Found an error?
- Tell us. We log fixes on the corrections page.
* This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your health.