--- description: Does turkey really make you sleepy? Here's what you should know about turkey and tryptophan this Thanksgiving. title: The Truth About Turkey and Tryptophan image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Health](/section/health/) ## Health Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Diet & Nutrition](/tag/dietnutrition/) ## Diet & Nutrition Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Truth About Turkey and Tryptophan by [Alexandra Sifferlin](/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) and [Heather Jones](/author/heather-jones/) Nov 22, 2016 5:26 PM CUT by [Alexandra Sifferlin](/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) and [Heather Jones](/author/heather-jones/) Nov 22, 2016 5:26 PM CUT No [Thanksgiving](http://time.com/4577425/thanksgiving-2016-true-story/ "undefined") is complete without a [turkey](http://time.com/4571760/thanksgiving-sandwich-recipe-video/ "undefined") at the table—and a nap right after it’s eaten. The meat has a bad reputation for making eaters sleepy, but is there really science to back that up? Here’s the lowdown: turkey contains the amino acid L-tryptophan, which produces sleep-promoting serotonin and melatonin. But turkey has about the same amount of tryptophan as other meats. It may even have a built-in secret weapon against sleepiness: an abundance of [protein](http://time.com/3603689/turkey-nutrition/?iid=sr-link1 "undefined"), which can regulate insulin levels and actually combat fatigue. So don’t blame the turkey for your tiredness; the heavy load of carbs that made up the rest of the meal are likely the culprits. Here’s what turkey really does to your body.  ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4580001/thanksgiving-turkey-tryptophan/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4580001/thanksgiving-turkey-tryptophan/"},"headline":"The Truth About Turkey and Tryptophan","datePublished":"2016-11-22T17:26:41.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:50:24.376Z","description":"Here's the real reason Thanksgiving makes you sleepy","url":"https://time.com/4580001/thanksgiving-turkey-tryptophan/","keywords":["Diet & Nutrition","Turkey","Thanksgiving"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alexandra Sifferlin","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Heather Jones","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/heather-jones/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/dietnutrition/","name":"Diet & Nutrition"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4580001/thanksgiving-turkey-tryptophan/","name":"The Truth About Turkey and Tryptophan"}}]}] ```