Around this time of year, people love to offer the scientific “fact” that turkey makes you sleepy because it contains a chemical called tryptophan. While it’s true that turkey does contain some tryptophan, don’t blame the turkey for your drowsiness after the Thanksgiving feast. The real blame lies with the massive amount of carbalicious mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, casseroles, bread, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and other delights on the plate next to the turkey plus the alcohol you might consume. Check out this article from Live Science for details. The excellent Snopes.com addresses the misconception as well.