Newswise — TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- With more than 9 million Americans taking prescription sleep aids, public health professionals are evaluating a variety of natural methods to help people get better sleep.

The role nutrition plays in promoting better sleep has gained more attention lately, and with Thanksgiving approaching many people wonder if the extra turkey plays a role in inducing the traditional Thanksgiving Day afternoon nap. Turkey contains tryptophan, an amino acid responsible for helping to manage our sleep cycle. However, eating turkey on its own is probably not causing people to feel sleepy.

“One of the main reasons we feel sleepy after a Thanksgiving feast is we are eating carbohydrate-rich foods like mashed potatoes and stuffing along with our turkey,” said Dr. Adam Knowlden, assistant professor of health science at UA. “The sleep-inducing amino acid found in turkey has a much easier time being processed when combined with carbohydrate-rich foods. There may be other factors contributing as well such as lower stress due to time off work.”

Knowlden's research interests include intervention evaluation and behavior prediction models, particularly in the areas of obesity and sleep. He has had multiple journal articles published on both topics. For more information, visit Knowlden's website, www.aknowlden.people.ua.edu/.

Contact: Dr. Adam Knowlden at [email protected], or Kim Eaton, UA media relations, at 205/348-8325 or [email protected].

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