Why does Michael sleep for hours after consuming a family size chicken pot pie?

Authors

  • Amina Rehman University of Leicester

Keywords:

TV Programme, Biology, Neurophysiology, Nutrition, The Office, Michael Scott

Abstract

The classic US sitcom “The Office” follows the day-to-day working life of a Dunder Mifflin paper office in Scranton, with Michael Scott being the incredibly erratic yet surprisingly successful boss. Michael decides to ingest a whole family-size pot pie for lunch, resulting in him falling into a deep sleep for hours. Whilst doing so, everyone else in the office changes the clocks and tricks him into leaving work early. This paper will investigate the relationship between digestion, hormones, and neurotransmitters to explain the mechanisms by which Michael fell into his deep slumber.

References

Celotta, J. & Lieberstein, P. (2009) Company picnic, The Office, Season 5, Episode 28. [TV episode]. NBC. May 14th 2009.

Hervé, J., Mani, S., Behrman, J., Laxminarayan, R. & Nandi, A. (2024). Food Coma is Real: The Effect of Digestive Fatigue on Adolescents’ Cognitive Performance. Social Science Research Network. [online] DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.4788223.

Hunter, F. (2025). Why do I feel tired after eating? [online] Good Food. Available at: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/health/wellness/why-do-i-feel-tired-after-eating [Accessed: 15 February 2025].

Kroger.com. (2025). Banquet Family Size Chicken Pot Pie Frozen Meal, 38 oz. [online] Available at: https://www.kroger.com/p/banquet-family-size-chicken-pot-pie-frozen-meal/0003100067048 [Accessed: 22 January 2025].

American Psychological Association (2018). Estimated Calorie Needs per Day, by Age, Sex, and Physical Activity Level. [online] Available at: https://www.apa.org/obesity-guideline/estimated-calorie-needs.pdf [Accessed: 24 January 2025].

Preston, R.R. & Wilson, T.E. (2020). Physiology. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health.

Pray, L. (2015). Relationships Among the Brain, the Digestive System, and Eating Behavior: Workshop Summary. [online] nap.nationalacademies.org. National Academies Press. Available at: https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/21654/chapter/3 [Accessed: 22 January 2025].

Lee, Y.Y., Erdogan, A. & Rao, S.S.C. (2014). How to assess regional and whole gut transit time with wireless motility capsule. Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility, [online] 20(2), pp.265–270. DOI: 10.5056/jnm.2014.20.2.265

Jeays, A.D., Lawford, P.V., Gillott, R., Spencer, P.A., Bardham, K.D. & Hose, D.R. (2007). A framework for the modeling of gut blood flow regulation and postprandial hyperaemia. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 13(9), p.1393. DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i9.1393. PMC4146924, PMID: 17457971.

Willberg, C., Zentgraf, K. & Behringer, M. (2021). The Effect of Lower-Body Blood Flow Restriction on Static and Perturbated Stable Stand in Young, Healthy Adults. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 15. DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.756230

Ludwig, D.S. & Ebbeling, C.B. (2018). The Carbohydrate-Insulin Model of Obesity. JAMA Internal Medicine, 178(8), p.1098. DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.2933

Richter, J., Herzog, N., Janka, S., Baumann, T., Kistenmacher, A. & Oltmanns, K.M. (2020). Twice as High Diet-Induced Thermogenesis After Breakfast vs Dinner On High-Calorie as Well as Low-Calorie Meals. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 105(3), pp.e211–e221. DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgz311.

Daniel, P.M., Love, E.R., Moorhouse, S.R. & Pratt, O.E. (1981). The effect of insulin upon the influx of tryptophan into the brain of the rabbit. The Journal of Physiology, 312(1), pp.551–562. DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.1981.sp013643.

Jenkins, T.A., Nguyen, J.C.D., Polglaze, K.E. & Bertrand, P.P. (2016). Influence of Tryptophan and Serotonin on Mood and Cognition with a Possible Role of the Gut-Brain Axis. Nutrients, [online] 8(1), p.56. DOI: 10.3390/nu8010056.

Paredes, S.D., Marchena, A.M., Bejarano, I., Espino, J., Barriga, C., Rial, R.V., Reiter, R.J. and Rodríguez, A.B. (2009). Melatonin and Tryptophan Affect the Activity–Rest Rhythm, Core and Peripheral Temperatures, and Interleukin Levels in the Ringdove: Changes With Age. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, [online] 64A(3), pp.340–350. DOI: 10.1093/gerona/gln054

Lee, B.H., Hille, B. & Koh, D.-S. (2021). Serotonin modulates melatonin synthesis as an autocrine neurotransmitter in the pineal gland. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(43). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113852118

Downloads

Published

26.02.2025

How to Cite

Rehman, A. (2025). Why does Michael sleep for hours after consuming a family size chicken pot pie?. Journal of Interdisciplinary Science Topics, 12. Retrieved from https://journals.le.ac.uk/index.php/jist/article/view/4919

Issue

Section

Articles