Eggs Make Me Tired & Sleepy: 3 Reasons + How To Fix

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Some people on Reddit and Quora have been reporting that after eating eggs they feel tired, lethargic, and have no energy.  

As a registered dietician, I wanted to answer this question because it’s fairly common, especially among athletes and bodybuilders who eat a lot of eggs to fulfill their daily protein requirements.  

Why do eggs make you tired? Eggs make you tired because they are high in tryptophan, which is an amino acid that produces hormones such as serotonin and melatonin.

Both of these hormones tell your body to relax and that it’s time to sleep. Also, eggs are high in protein, and protein can take longer to digest, making you feel lethargic. 

If you’ve managed to identify why you are getting tired and sluggish when eating eggs, there are several solutions for you. 

Below, I will explain all the reasons you get tired from consuming eggs and how to prevent it.

Key Takeaways

• Consuming 6 eggs or more in a meal can make you feel tired. Therefore, monitoring your egg consumption and avoiding other high-tryptophan foods (like cheese) can help you avoid feeling sleepy.

• The optimal time to eat eggs, other proteins, and fat is after your work-out. If you eat high-protein meals beforehand, it may contribute to drowsiness.

• To determine if an egg intolerance is the cause of your fatigue, eliminate eggs for 30 days, slowly reintroduce them, and evaluate your symptoms.

3 Reasons Why Eggs Can Make You Tired And Lethargic

1. Eggs Are High In Tryptophan

Eggs are made of protein and protein is made of amino acids. Tryptophan is one amino acid found in eggs that, when consumed, gets converted into serotonin (also known as the happy hormone).

Once it is converted, this causes a relaxing state, which can make you feel sleepy. 

At the same time, tryptophan is also responsible for the production of melatonin, which is the hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. 

Our body naturally produces melatonin, especially when it gets dark at night to trigger the body to go to sleep.  

But, melatonin can also be produced by eating certain foods that are high in tryptophan, such as turkey, cheese, and eggs. 

Research shows that the tryptophan dosage doesn’t have to be very high to make you feel tired and lethargic. 

It’s said that only 1 gram of tryptophan can be enough to make you want to crawl back to bed. 

One egg contains 170 mg of tryptophan, which means that for you to get 1 gram of tryptophan, you would have to consume around 6 eggs. 

While eating 6 eggs is not common for the average person, many competitive athletes and bodybuilders who have higher protein and caloric requirements will eat 4-6 eggs in a single meal.

2. Protein Takes Longer to Digest

Protein (along with fats) takes longer to digest than carbs. Eggs have both of these macronutrients. Thus, they take longer to digest, which means they stay longer in your stomach. 

Since your body is focused on digestion, it can take away from feeling like you have a lot of energy.  

This is one of the reasons why it’s not a good idea to consume a high-protein orhigh-fat meal before working out. 

This is not to say that you want to avoid foods that take longer to digest, sinceeggs do have many benefits, but you’ll certainly want to be mindful about eating these types of food when you want your body to be involved in physical activity or need to have higher energy levels.

3. You Have An Egg Intolerance

Finally, another common reason why you might be feeling tired and sluggish after having eggs is due to egg intolerance. 

Egg intolerance is when your body reacts to a protein found in egg whites, yolk, or both. You might experience other symptoms like bloating, stomach cramps, diarrhea, or nausea. 

To determine if you have an egg intolerance, you need to pay attention each time you eat eggs. 

I often recommend having a food journal where you write down everything you eat and the symptoms you get. 

This way, you can find a pattern of which foods are causing you to have these reactions. 

While a food journal is always handy, it doesn’t replace a visit to your doctor. 

If you have any concerns about whether or not you have an egg intolerance, consult your doctor to do an allergy or intolerance test. 

• Related Article: Eggs Make Me Gassy & Bloated: 4 Reasons & How To Fix

Tryptophan In Eggs Compared With Other Foods

In the following table, we can compare the tryptophan content in 100 g of each food and how it’s different from eggs. 

Eggs are certainly not the highest in tryptophan content, cheese, and pumpkin seeds are the highest with more than 500 mg per 100 g.

This means that if you are looking to prevent getting tired and lethargic from eggs, it’s a bad idea to combine your eggs with cheddar cheese, which many people prefer. 

There is also a slight difference between egg whites and the whole egg in tryptophan content. 

Whole eggs have 170 mg of tryptophan, while egg whites have only 125 mg. 

Therefore, if you’re concerned about getting tired after eating eggs, you could limit the number of whole eggs you eat andconsume more egg whites (you can purchase egg white cartons separately).  

Alternatively, I like to mix 1 whole egg with 3-4 egg whites, which would reduce the tryptophan content but still give you some of the flavors from the yolk.

Ways To Avoid Getting Tired And Lethargic From Eggs

Pick Foods Low In Tryptophan

To avoid getting tired and lethargic after eating eggs, it’s better to eat low tryptophan foods. This means that instead of having whole eggs, switch to egg whites. 

For example, if you are used to having four eggs for breakfast, this means having 680 mg of tryptophan per meal (not counting any other foods that might have tryptophan like ham or cheese). 

If you switch to egg whites, you would only consume 250 mg of tryptophan with the same protein content, lower in calories and fat. 

Additionally, make sure not to combine several high-tryptophan foods. 

For example, if you were having a salad with pumpkin seeds, salmon, and hard-boiled eggs, I can assure you this will make you very sleepy. 

Have Eggs At Night

To prevent getting tired and lethargic during the day, you should include eggs only when you are supposed to go to bed. 

If you are not having a good night’s sleep, you might want to have high tryptophan foods to ensure you get tired and go to bed. 

“Improvements in sleep were noted in a study of middle-aged adults after 19 days of tryptophan-rich (70 mg) egg-white protein hydrolysate formulation consumption.”

—Nutrients

Do An Egg Detox

If you are getting several symptoms from consuming eggs, including feeling tired and lethargic, it’s better to avoid them for a couple of weeks. Start by eliminating them for four weeks. This gives it enough time for the body to have a “reset.”

Once that time has passed, you can slowly start adding eggs to check if you still have symptoms. I often recommend trying the egg whites first, then the yolk, and finally both.  

If one egg doesn’t seem to be a problem each day, you can add one egg at a time, as long as you pay attention to your symptoms. 

If you eat 5-6 eggs and have symptoms, you’ve found your daily tolerance. Make sure never to surpass this intake. 

Do An Egg Substitute 

For those still feeling tired and lethargic when eating eggs, the best solution would be to replace them. There are several egg substitutes that you can find.

You can mix one tablespoon of chia seeds or flaxseeds with two tablespoons of water for a homemade approach. This will create a similar consistency to eggs, which you can use in any recipe. 

Other commercial options like Bob’s Red Mills Egg Replacer or Just Egg Replacer help you substitute eggs in your recipes. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Can Eggs Cause Low Energy? 

Eggs can cause low energy due to their high tryptophan content. Tryptophan produces serotonin and melatonin, which helps reduce stress and increase sleep.

While it might not happen to everyone, consuming more than 1 g of tryptophan (6 eggs), could make you feel low in energy. 

Do Eggs Have Melatonin?

Eggs are a dietary source of melatonin, along with fruits, nuts, vegetables, and seeds. Research shows that eggs and fish have the highest concentration of melatonin of all animal products.

While the amount is low compared to what your brain can produce naturally, you may still notice an impact on your energy level.

Do Eggs Affect Your Mood?

Some studies suggest that there may be a link between eating eggs and improved mood, perhaps due to the tryptophan contained in egg yolks.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that promotes the production of serotonin, an important neurotransmitter that helps to regulate mood, focus, sleep, and sense of calm.

Does Eating Eggs Before Bed Improve Your Sleep?

Eating eggs at night may help you sleep better. One study found that participants who ate egg whites 60-90 minutes before bed experienced improved mood and better sleep quality compared to the control group.

Each egg dose contained 70 millograms of tryptophan, which is known to boost serotonin, the “happy hormone.”

Other Foods That Can Make You Tired

• Bread Makes Me Tired & Fatigued: 3 Reasons + How To Fix