Tryptophan is the naturally occurring amino acid found in turkey that for years has taken the blame for the post-meal coma we slip into while stretching out on the sofa and drooling our way through two or three football games each Thanksgiving.

Regardless of the fact that many of us had sat down to the dining room table and ate enough to feed a small village of lumberjacks, tryptophan always gets the blame for the three-hour nap we take while working through a serious case of abdominal discomfort.

In recent years, it seems an antidote has been discovered that not only alleviates our post-feast Thursday evening sleepiness but also gives many the ability to remain completely alert and awake into the wee hours of Friday morning.

Tryptophan, meet Triptowalmart.

Each year, before the turkey is hardly cold and the good china is still soaking in the kitchen sink, millions of Americans take to the malls and other shopping centers in search of the one true Holy Grail for shoppers — the Black Friday deal.

It seems the only thing we’ve developed a greater taste for on the fourth Thursday in November than 3 pounds of dressing covered with a half gallon of Grandma’s famous gravy, is a new flat screen television marked down 50 percent off the previous day’s over-inflated price tag. And to satiate our consumer’s appetite, we’re apparently willing to stand in line in the cold at 3 a.m. on the fourth Friday in November to make sure we get one before they sell out.

It ought to make you wonder if the Pilgrims had any idea what they were getting us into.